This week, Meta-owned messaging app WhatsApp made a significant alteration to its business API policy, prohibiting general-purpose chatbots from its platform. This decision is poised to impact various WhatsApp-based assistants, including those developed by OpenAI, Perplexity, Luzia—backed by Khosla Ventures—and Poke, supported by General Catalyst.
To clarify this development, Meta introduced a new section in its business API terms addressing “AI providers,” specifically targeting general-purpose chatbots. These revised terms will take effect on January 15, 2026, and state that Meta prohibits AI model providers from distributing their AI assistants through WhatsApp.
“Providers and developers of artificial intelligence or machine learning technologies, including but not limited to large language models, generative artificial intelligence platforms, general-purpose artificial intelligence assistants, or similar technologies as determined by Meta in its sole discretion (‘AI Providers’), are strictly prohibited from accessing or using the WhatsApp Business Solution, whether directly or indirectly, for the purposes of providing, delivering, offering, selling, or otherwise making available such technologies when such technologies are the primary (rather than incidental or ancillary) functionality being made available for use, as determined by Meta in its sole discretion.”
Meta confirmed this policy change to TechCrunch, emphasizing that businesses using AI to enhance customer service on WhatsApp will not be affected. For example, a travel agency utilizing a bot for customer inquiries will still be able to operate under this service.
The rationale behind this decision is that the WhatsApp Business API was specifically crafted for businesses to serve their customers, rather than functioning as a conduit for general chatbot distribution. Recently, Meta observed a surge in general-purpose chatbot usage, which deviated from the API’s intended purpose.
“The purpose of the WhatsApp Business API is to assist businesses in providing customer support and sending relevant updates. Our priority remains to support the tens of thousands of businesses that are enhancing customer experiences on WhatsApp,” a Meta spokesperson remarked in their statement to TechCrunch.
The rise in chatbot usage has also exerted pressure on WhatsApp’s systems, leading to increased message volumes and requiring support that the platform was not prepared to handle. Consequently, Meta has decided to prohibit use cases that fall outside of the API’s original design and strategic objectives.
This move effectively eliminates WhatsApp as a distribution platform for AI solutions such as virtual assistants or agents, thereby making Meta AI the only assistant accessible on this popular chat app.
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Last year, OpenAI introduced ChatGPT on WhatsApp, and earlier this year, Perplexity launched its chatbot on the platform, aiming to engage its more than 3 billion users. These bots could handle a variety of tasks, including answering queries, interpreting media files, responding to voice notes, and generating images—all of which likely contributed to increased message volume.
However, Meta was facing a larger dilemma. The WhatsApp Business API is a crucial revenue stream, charging businesses for various message templates related to marketing, utility, authentication, and support. Since the API was not designed for chatbot integration, WhatsApp was unable to monetize these services effectively.
During Meta’s Q1 2025 earnings call, CEO Mark Zuckerberg emphasized the potential of business messaging as a key revenue opportunity for the company.
“Currently, a significant portion of our income derives from advertising on Facebook and Instagram,” he explained. “However, WhatsApp boasts over 3 billion monthly active users, with more than 100 million in the United States and an expanding user base. Messenger is also engaged by over a billion users monthly, and messages sent daily on Instagram are now on par with those on Messenger. Business messaging has the potential to become a central pillar for our revenue growth.”
