The European Commission has initiated a formal antitrust investigation into Meta Platforms concerning its new data usage policy for WhatsApp. The probe, announced on Monday, will scrutinize whether the tech giant’s practices constitute an abuse of a dominant market position by imposing unfair conditions on users. Regulators are focused on the policy’s requirement for users to consent to the sharing of their personal data between WhatsApp and other Meta services, including for advertising purposes, raising significant concerns over compliance with EU competition law.
This EU-level action notably excludes Italy, where the national competition authority (AGCM) is conducting its own separate proceedings against Meta. The parallel Italian case examines similar allegations, creating a multi-front regulatory challenge for the company within the European Union. The Commission’s investigation will assess if Meta’s terms force an unnecessary data coupling, potentially limiting user choice and leveraging its dominance in consumer communications to strengthen its position in online advertising.
The outcome of this probe could lead to substantial fines and mandatory changes to Meta’s business operations in the EU, marking a critical juncture in the ongoing regulatory scrutiny of major digital platforms’ data practices.
