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In a surprising yet strategic move, Meta-owned WhatsApp has officially updated its Business API policy to ban general-purpose AI chatbots from operating on its platform. The new terms, which take effect on January 15, 2026, specifically prohibit AI model providers—including companies like OpenAI, Perplexity, Luzia, and Poke—from distributing their assistants through WhatsApp.
The updated policy introduces a dedicated section for “AI Providers,” explicitly stating that technologies offering general-purpose AI or generative AI capabilities are “strictly prohibited” from using WhatsApp’s Business API for primary chatbot services. In simpler terms, companies can no longer run full-scale AI assistants on WhatsApp unless those tools are being used for business support, not general conversations or broad user interaction.
Meta confirmed the change to TechCrunch, clarifying that it’s not targeting businesses that use AI for customer service—for example, a travel agency using an automated assistant to handle flight queries or hotel bookings can still operate as usual. Instead, the restriction focuses on AI distribution at scale, which WhatsApp says strays from the platform’s original intent.
“The purpose of the WhatsApp Business API is to help businesses provide customer support and send relevant updates,” a Meta spokesperson explained. “Our focus is on supporting the tens of thousands of businesses who are building these experiences on WhatsApp.”
Behind the scenes, several factors drove this decision. First, Meta noticed that general-purpose bots were creating unanticipated traffic volumes, straining system resources and demanding new types of support. Second, WhatsApp’s Business API is a major revenue stream, with the company charging businesses for different categories of messages—such as marketing, authentication, and utility notifications. Since chatbot-based interactions didn’t fit into this pricing model, Meta wasn’t earning money from their activity.
During Meta’s Q1 2025 earnings call, Mark Zuckerberg emphasized that business messaging is the company’s next major revenue pillar beyond advertising.
“Business messaging should be the next pillar of our business,” Zuckerberg said. “Right now, the vast majority of our business is advertising, but WhatsApp has over 3 billion monthly users, and we see big growth potential there.”
The implications are significant. This policy will effectively shut down third-party AI chatbots on WhatsApp, leaving Meta AI as the platform’s only assistant. That means users who’ve grown accustomed to chatting with AI models via WhatsApp—like ChatGPT or Perplexity—will soon lose access.
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