WhatsApp will implement the Business Solution API changes early next year.
WhatsApp's parent company claims that the third-party AI chatbots were putting pressure on its systems
Photo Credit: Pexels/Anton
WhatsApp will soon block artificial intelligence (AI) firms from providing access to chatbots and other machine learning technologies via its business messaging plaform. However, companies using AI-powered tools to offer customer service will not be affected by this change to the WhatsApp Business Solution policy. AI companies will not be able to utilise WhatsApp's Business data to train, improve, and create their own chatbots on the instant messaging platform. Meta is reportedly bringing in the changes as the increased number of messages were putting its systems under pressure, but it could also be a way to promote its own AI assistant.
The instant messaging service has updated its business API policy to restrict large language model AI bots and other “machine learning technologies” from accessing WhatsApp Business, and the new terms will go into effect on January 15, 2026. While this stands to impact AI assistants of other companies that are offered in the form of chats on WhatsApp, Meta confirmed to TechCrunch that the prohibition will not disrupt the services provided by other businesses on WhatsApp.
The Meta-owned company said that AI “providers and developers” are “strictly prohibited” from using the WhatsApp Business Solution for “providing, delivering, offering, or selling” large language AI models and machine learning technologies. Meta has the “sole discretion” on allowing these functionalities to exist on its platform.
AI firms like OpenAI and Perplexity offer access to their chatbots in the form of WhatsApp chats, but it seems like this access will soon be cut off by Meta. These firms will also be blocked from using WhatsApp's business solution to create, develop, train, or improve their AI models and related technologies. However, the same can be used to “fine-tune” models that are meant for their own use. WhatsApp said that if these terms are found to be violated, the company might terminate its business account and revoke its access, too.
While the company has not categorically stated the reason behind this change, it is reportedly enforcing the same because the “WhatsApp Business API is designed for businesses serving customers rather than acting as a platform for chatbot distribution.” The use of general-purpose AI chatbots on WhatsApp reportedly put Meta's systems under pressure as the number of messages increased, while requiring a “different kind of support, which the company wasn't ready for”.
While the rise in the number of messages on third-party AI chatbots might be burdensome for Meta's systems to handle, this could also be a way for the company to promote its own AI assistant, dubbed Meta AI, on WhatsApp. According to a report, the WhatsApp Business API is one of the main sources of cash flow for the instant messaging service. Hence, as other players started providing their own AI chatbots on WhatsApp, the traffic got divided between Meta AI and its competitors.
Moreover, while WhatsApp charges businesses for marketing, utility, authentication, and support, it did not have a way to charge AI companies for using WhatsApp to provide their services.
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