Italian antitrust authority probing Meta's WhatsApp AI chatbot
The Italian antitrust authority Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM) has accused Meta of violating the European Union's competition laws by integrating its AI chatbot into its messaging app WhatsApp, potentially abusing its "dominant position" in the market to promote its own AI services.
'Starting from March 2025, Meta, which holds a dominant position in the app-based communication services market, decided to pre-install its artificial intelligence service on the WhatsApp app,' AGCM wrote in a statement.
"In doing so, Meta may be 'imposing' the use of its chatbot and AI assistance services on its users," the antitrust authority continued.
It said that by linking Meta AI with WhatsApp, Meta appears to be steering its users into the AI market not through fair competition, but by forcing the two services together in violation of EU law.
On Tuesday, antitrust officials inspected Meta's Italian offices, the regulator said.
Concerns over Meta's AI models are not unique to Italy, with the Irish data protection authority scrutinising its use of users' data.
The technology giant's AI tool had raised concerns in Brussels. It launched its AI models in Europe earlier this year, after a delay due to "regulatory uncertainty".
Meanwhile, the European Commission, the EU's executive body, launched an inquiry in March into whether Meta's AI tool falls within the scope of the Digital Services Act (DSA).
Meta owns several major social media and messaging platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
3 hours ago
- France 24
US tech titan earnings rise on AI as economy roils
"Massive results seen by Microsoft and Meta further validate the use cases and unprecedented spending trajectory for the AI Revolution on both the enterprise and consumer fronts," Wedbush tech analyst Dan Ives said in a note to investors. "We have barely scratched the surface of this 4th Industrial Revolution now playing out around the world led by the Big Tech stalwarts such as Nvidia, Microsoft, Palantir, Meta, Alphabet, and Amazon," Ives added. Amazon reported a 35 percent jump in quarterly profits as the e-commerce giant said major investments in AI technology are paying off. "Our conviction that AI will change every customer experience is starting to play out," said Chief Executive Andy Jassy, pointing to the company's expanded Alexa+ service and new AI shopping agents. But the Seattle-based company's profit outlook for the current quarter came in lower than hoped for, with investors worried that the cost of AI was weighing on the bottom line. This was despite a stellar second quarter that exceeded analyst expectations, much like it did for its AI-focused rivals Google, Microsoft and Meta, which posted bumper results for the period. Amazon's net sales climbed 13 percent, signaling that the company was so far surviving impacts of the high-tariff trade policy under US President Donald Trump. Amazon Web Services (AWS), the company's world-leading cloud computing division, led the charge with sales jumping 17.5 percent to $30.9 billion. Its strong performance reflects surging demand for cloud infrastructure to power AI applications, a trend that has benefited major cloud providers as companies race to adopt generative AI technologies. $4 trillion club Shares of Microsoft spiked Thursday following blowout quarterly results, lifting the tech giant into the previously unprecedented $4 trillion club along with Nvidia, another AI standout. The landmark valuation is the latest sign of growing bullishness about an AI investment boom that market watchers believe is still in the early stages -- even as companies like Microsoft plan $100 billion or more in annual capital spending to add new capacity. "Cloud and AI is the driving force of business transformation across every industry and sector," said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. At the heart of the results was a stunning surge in Azure, the company's cloud computing platform, which is getting "supercharged" with AI, said Angelo Zino, technology analyst at CFRA Research. Zino attributed "just about all of" Microsoft's recent climb in valuation to AI. Superintelligence? Meta reported robust second-quarter financial results Wednesday, with revenue jumping 22 percent year-over-year as the social media giant continues investing heavily in artificial intelligence. "We've had a strong quarter both in terms of our business and community," said CEO Mark Zuckerberg. "I'm excited to build personal superintelligence for everyone in the world." Zuckerberg has embarked on a major AI spending spree, poaching top researchers with expensive pay packages from rivals like OpenAI and Apple as he builds a team to pursue what he calls AI superintelligence. Hours before the earnings report, Zuckerberg insisted that the attainment of superintelligence -- technology that would theoretically be more powerful than the human brain -- is now "in sight." Meanwhile Apple, which is seen as lagging in the AI race, beat expectations with earnings driven by strong iPhone sales despite US tariffs costing the company $800 million in the recently-ended quarter. Apple expects Trump's tariffs to cost the iPhone maker $1.1 billion in the current quarter. "The results show that Apple's iPhone strategy is working to offset the impact of looming challenges with AI development timelines, tariff pressures, and Google's antitrust issues," said Emarketer tech analyst Jacob Bourne. Apple chief executive Tim Cook said on an earnings call that taking the most advanced technologies and making them easy to use is "at the heart of our AI strategy."
Fashion Network
9 hours ago
- Fashion Network
Serge Brunschwig leaves Jil Sander
A surprise announcement on the eve of the summer break. Serge Brunschwig's stint at OTB and Jil Sander has only lasted six months. Frenchman Brunschwig, who was named CEO of the German label owned by the Italian fashion group (alongside Diesel, Maison Margiela, Marni, etc.) in early February, and was also head of strategy for the group founded and directed by Renzo Rosso, has announced on LinkedIn he is leaving. 'Today is the last day of my mission for Jil Sander. I would like to thank the team for what we achieved, getting this beautiful brand ready for its next chapter,' he posted. In September, Jil Sander is expected to unveil its new aesthetic under Creative Director Simone Bellotti, who succeeded Lucie and Luke Meier in early 2025. The OTB group has thanked Brunschwig, who is leaving 'for personal reasons,' praising 'his commitment and the contribution he made during his tenure.' Ubaldo Minelli, CEO of OTB, who had been in charge of Jil Sander in the past, is replacing Brunschwig. A graduate of Paris' Ecole Polytechnique, of the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Télécommunications, and of the Paris Institute of Political Studies, Brunschwig, 54, joined LVMH in 1995 as CEO of Louis Vuitton 's Asia-Pacific region. He was then CEO of Sephora Europe in 2000, and a director at Louis Vuitton in 2002. In 2006, Brunschwig took the helm of Céline, and then joined Christian Dior Couture in 2008 as COO, becoming also president of Dior Homme in 2015. In 2018, he succeeded Pietro Beccari as CEO of Fendi, where he remained until early 2025, when he joined OTB to take charge of Jil Sander.
Fashion Network
9 hours ago
- Fashion Network
"Roberto Cavalli is not for sale" says owner as it moves to quash speculation
There have been rumours lately that the Roberto Cavalli business is up for sale but its owner quashed them with an official statement on Thursday. See catwalk Owner DAMAC Group, said it was 'addressing recent speculation in the press about Roberto Cavalli ' and wanted to give a 'clear assurance about the future of the business'. It added: 'Since acquiring the Roberto Cavalli business in 2019, DAMAC have invested significantly in the growth and success of the company. Roberto Cavalli is not for sale. As before, we remain interested in strategic partners who can add value to the business.' The statement came after the company last month said it was assessing the 'strategic partnerships' referred to in today's statement as part of its growth options as Italian media began to speculate about a potential sale. Cavalli has faced the same challenges that have hit the rest of the luxury sector in recent years but has been busy this year opening new boutiques and launching regular collections as well as collaborations. This year alone those new stores have included Ibiza, Dubai Mall and Los Angeles, while collabs have included SKIMS and LeSportsac. Launched in 1970, the label's founder died a little over a year ago. The company had been bought just before the pandemic by DAMAC, which is a multi-billion-dollar business conglomerate founded and headquarted in the UAE by Hussain Sajwani. The parent company also invests in luxury real estate, capital markets, hotels/resorts, manufacturing, catering, and data centres.
