After Italy, WhatsApp Excludes Brazil from Rival Chatbot Ban
Incident Overview
WhatsApp is permitting AI providers to continue offering their chatbots to users with Brazilian phone numbers, following an order from the country’s competition regulator to suspend its new policy that prohibits third-party, general-purpose chatbots from operating on the app through its business API.
According to the updated policy, the company set a 90-day grace period starting January 15 for developers and AI providers, requiring them to discontinue responding to user queries on the chat platform and inform users that their chatbots will no longer function on WhatsApp.
However, Meta recently informed developers that they are no longer required to notify users with Brazilian numbers (country code +55) or halt their services, as per a notice seen by TechCrunch. The communication specifies, “The mandate to cease responding to user inquiries and implement pre-approved auto-reply language before January 15, 2026, no longer applies when messaging individuals with Brazil country code (+55).”
At the time of reporting, WhatsApp had not provided a response to confirm this decision.
Policy Details and Impact
The policy, which officially began today, targets general-purpose chatbots such as ChatGPT and Grok on WhatsApp. Importantly, it does not restrict businesses from using bots to deliver customer service through WhatsApp to their clients.
Brazil’s competition agency has expressed intent to investigate whether Meta’s terms unfairly exclude competitors and promote Meta AI, the company’s own chatbot available on WhatsApp.
Precedents and Investigations
Meta had previously granted a similar exemption to users in Italy after that nation’s competition agency challenged the policy in December. Separately, the European Union has initiated an antitrust investigation into these new restrictions.
Meta maintains that AI chatbots exert excessive pressure on their systems, which were initially designed for different applications of their business API. The company has asserted that individuals interested in using alternative chatbots can do so outside of WhatsApp.
A WhatsApp spokesperson responded to Brazil’s competition agency’s inquiry on Tuesday, stating, “These claims are fundamentally flawed. The introduction of AI chatbots on our Business API imposed a strain on our systems not originally intended to handle such usage. This reasoning presumes WhatsApp functions as a de facto app store. The proper channels for AI companies to reach the market are app stores themselves, their own websites, and industry partnerships—not the WhatsApp Business Platform.”
Broader Context
This move by WhatsApp comes amid increasing regulatory scrutiny over AI technologies and the control of platform ecosystems. Balancing innovation, competition, and fair access remains a critical challenge in the rapidly evolving AI and chatbot sector.
