WhatsApp Exempts Brazil From Third-Party Chatbot Ban

WhatsApp has officially exempted users with Brazilian phone numbers from its recent crackdown on third-party, general-purpose AI chatbots. The move follows an intervention by Brazil’s competition regulator, which is currently probing whether Meta’s new business API restrictions unfairly suppress competition to benefit its own Meta AI tool.

Regulatory Pressure Forces Policy Shift

The policy change, which officially took effect today, originally mandated that developers stop responding to user queries via the WhatsApp Business API by January 15, 2026. Developers were also required to inform users that their services would no longer function on the platform. However, a notice recently sent to AI providers confirms that these requirements do not apply to accounts registered with the +55 country code.

“The requirement to cease responding to user queries and implement pre-approved auto-reply language before January 15, 2026, no longer applies when messaging people with a Brazil country code (+55),” the internal notice stated.

Scope of the Restrictions

While the platform is restricting general-purpose AI assistants—such as ChatGPT and Grok—the policy does not impact standard business-to-customer service bots. Meta maintains that the restriction is a technical necessity rather than a competitive maneuver. According to the company, the surge in AI chatbot traffic on its Business API creates system strain that the architecture was never intended to support.

A spokesperson for WhatsApp defended the company’s stance regarding the ongoing investigation by CADE, Brazil’s competition authority:

• The company argues that WhatsApp is not a “de facto app store.”
• Meta suggests that AI companies should rely on traditional distribution channels like app stores, websites, and direct industry partnerships.
• The platform reiterates that these claims of exclusionary behavior are “fundamentally flawed.”

Global Scrutiny

Brazil is not the first nation to successfully challenge these rules. Meta previously granted an identical exemption to users in Italy last December after the country’s competition agency raised similar concerns. Beyond these individual national actions, the European Union has also launched a broader antitrust investigation into whether these new rules violate competition laws. WhatsApp has not yet provided a formal statement confirming the decision beyond the notice distributed to developers.