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EU plans to launch probe into Meta’s integration of AI in WhatsApp
- The EU Commission plans to launch probe into how Meta integrated Meta AI in WhatsApp early next year, Financial Times reported citing people familiar with the matter.
- The commission is expected to announced the launch of the probe in the coming days.
Assessment
The probe will mark another regulatory challenge for Meta Platforms in Europe. Companies face a fine of up to 10% of global revenue for a first offense and up to 20% for repeat offenses. However, EU fines rarely hit the maximum and DMA has often focused on remedies rather than excessive fines. That said, if Meta is found guilty of breaching the DMA, the EU may demand a separate option to use WhatsApp without Meta AI, a clear opt-in requirements for AI features processing chat data or restrictions on cross-service data sharing between WhatsApp and Meta AI. These remedies could impede Meta’s AI efforts such as personalized ads based on AI chats and performance of its AI agents.