US EditionMeta Reverses WhatsApp's 3rd-Party Chatbot Ban in Italy and Brazil
Meta allows AI chatbots on WhatsApp for users in Brazil and Italy amid regulatory probes, exempting these countries from a global ban on third-party chatbot access to its Business API.
- On January 15, 2026, Meta's new WhatsApp rules take effect, limiting general-purpose chatbots like ChatGPT and Grok on the WhatsApp Business API, targeting companies using WhatsApp as a chatbot replacement.
- Following CADE's action, regulators in multiple countries probed the policy, with Brazil's CADE investigating Meta's terms for exclusion and Italy's AGCM ordering a suspension.
- WhatsApp's Business Solution Terms bar AI providers when AI is primary but allow users with Italian or Brazilian codes, while Meta's technical rationale cites system strain on the Business API.
- Meta told developers they need not notify users with Brazilian phone numbers , and AI providers may continue offering chatbots during the 90-day grace period starting January 15, 2026.
- The EU has launched an antitrust probe that may broaden exemptions beyond Italy, while competition authorities warned Meta's conduct may cause serious harm to AI chatbot market competition.
16 Articles
16 Articles
After Italy, WhatsApp excludes Brazil from rival chatbot ban
WhatsApp is allowing AI providers to continue offering their chatbots to users in Brazil, days after the country's competition agency ordered the company to suspend its new policy that bars third-party, general-purpose chatbots from the app.
WhatsApp eliminates from today a function that had become very popular among users: the possibility of using general purpose artificial intelligence chatbots, such as ChatGPT, Copilot, Perplexity or LuzIA, the latter developed in Spain and with a growing user base in the country.The change comes after the update of the policies of Meta, owner of WhatsApp, which now expressly prohibits the operation of third-party AI assistants based on large lan…
WhatsApp Exempts Brazilian Users From Policy Barring Third-Party AI Chatbots
WhatsApp has reversed part of its new policy that restricts third-party, general-purpose AI chatbots from operating on the app, allowing AI providers to continue offering their services to users with Brazilian phone numbers. This decision follows an order from Brazil’s competition regulator, which recently directed Meta to suspend the policy for further investigation. Under the new guidelines, Meta had mandated a 90-day grace period starting Jan…
Meta Exempts Brazil from WhatsApp AI Chatbot Ban After Regulator Push
Meta’s Strategic Pivot in the Chatbot Wars In a surprising turn of events that underscores the growing tensions between tech giants and national regulators, WhatsApp has decided to exempt Brazil from its controversial policy banning third-party AI chatbots. This move comes just days after Brazil’s competition authority intervened, ordering the suspension of the ban. The decision mirrors a similar exemption granted to Italy, highlighting how regu…
We remember. Last fall, Meta wanted to block third-party AIs like ChatGPT from accessing the WhatsApp Business API. The specific reason given was that the API is intended for customer service and relevant updates, not as a platform for AI assistants... See the article: WhatsApp: Block on ChatGPT and others partially lifted
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