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Meta Exempts Italy From WhatsApp Ban on Rival AI Chatbots After Antitrust Order

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Meta Platforms will exclude Italy from its planned ban on rival artificial intelligence chatbots on WhatsApp, following an order from the country’s antitrust authority, according to a notice sent to AI providers and developers and seen by Reuters.

Italy’s competition watchdog, AGCM, last month instructed Meta to suspend the proposed ban while it investigates the company for a suspected abuse of market power, after complaints from rival AI providers. At the European level, the European Commission is also examining whether Meta violated competition rules by restricting access for third-party AI chatbots on WhatsApp, although it has not imposed interim measures.

Blocking rival AI providers from WhatsApp could significantly benefit Meta’s own chatbot and virtual assistant, Meta AI, which was integrated into the messaging platform last year. Critics argue that limiting competitors’ access would further strengthen Meta’s position in AI-powered consumer services.

In its notice to developers circulated earlier this month, Meta said that phone numbers with an Italian country code (+39) are currently exempt from WhatsApp’s updated terms of service, in order to comply with the Italian regulator’s order. The revised terms are scheduled to take effect on January 15 for users outside Italy.

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Meta declined to comment on the changes, referring instead to a previous statement that said the rapid emergence of AI chatbots has placed strain on WhatsApp’s systems, which were not originally designed to support such services. The Italian antitrust authority also declined to comment.

The Italian carve-out drew sharp criticism from rivals. The Interaction Company of California, which developed the AI assistant Poke.com and filed complaints with both Italian and EU regulators, said Meta’s response was insufficient.

“Meta’s move to keep enforcing its new WhatsApp API policy—shutting out AI rivals like Poke.com while only carving out +39 numbers—is deeply disappointing,” said Marvin von Hagen, the company’s co-founder and chief executive. He added that the Italian authority had already found Meta’s conduct to be, at first glance, anti-competitive under EU law, and urged the European Commission to adopt interim measures across the bloc.

Verisk Scraps $2.35 Billion AccuLynx Acquisition After FTC Review Delay

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Verisk has terminated its planned $2.35 billion acquisition of roofing software provider AccuLynx, citing delays in regulatory approval by U.S. antitrust authorities. The decision was disclosed in a statement released on Monday.

Verisk said the move followed notification from the Federal Trade Commission that it had not completed its review of the transaction by the agreed termination deadline of December 26. As a result, the merger was not finalized by the extended cutoff date, prompting Verisk to formally call off the deal last week.

The data analytics firm first announced the acquisition in July, positioning the purchase as a strategic expansion into software solutions for the insurance and construction ecosystem. At the time, the transaction was expected to close by the third quarter of 2025, subject to regulatory approvals.

The termination has already sparked a dispute between the two companies. Verisk said AccuLynx has informed it that it believes the termination of the merger agreement is invalid. Verisk rejected that claim, stating it “strongly disagrees” and intends to “vigorously defend against any such assertions.” Neither AccuLynx nor the FTC immediately responded to requests for comment.

Following the collapse of the deal, Verisk said it plans to redeem approximately $1.5 billion in debt that had been issued to finance the acquisition. The decision removes a major transaction from Verisk’s growth plans and underscores the growing impact of prolonged regulatory scrutiny on large technology and data-related mergers.

India Tribunal Lifts WhatsApp Data-Sharing Ban but Upholds Meta’s $25 Million Fine

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An Indian appeals tribunal has overturned a five-year ban preventing WhatsApp from sharing user data with other Meta-owned entities but upheld a $25.4 million fine, delivering a mixed verdict for the U.S. tech giant.

The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) ruled on Tuesday that the Competition Commission of India’s (CCI) 2024 order lacked sufficient justification for restricting data sharing, calling the regulator’s rationale “missing altogether.” However, it agreed with the CCI’s finding that Meta had abused its market dominance by imposing unfair terms on users.

WhatsApp had challenged the CCI’s ban, warning it could have been forced to roll back certain features if the restriction remained. Meta, in turn, argued that the watchdog lacked the technical expertise to assess the implications of its decision.

The dispute dates back to 2021, when changes to WhatsApp’s privacy policy sparked widespread backlash in India. Regulators accused the company of pressuring users to accept new data-sharing terms or risk losing access to the platform.

A Meta spokesperson said the company is reviewing the tribunal’s written order and reiterated that the 2021 privacy update “did not change the privacy of people’s personal messages, which remain end-to-end encrypted.”

India is Meta’s largest market globally, with hundreds of millions of users across WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram — making the ruling a critical development for the company’s operations in the country.