Brazil has ordered Meta to suspend a policy that prevents third-party AI chatbots from operating on WhatsApp, escalating regulatory pressure on the company in one of its most important global markets. The decision reflects growing concern among regulators about how major technology platforms control access to their ecosystems, particularly as artificial intelligence becomes more deeply integrated into everyday digital services.
The Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica (CADE) has also launched a formal investigation to determine whether the policy is anti-competitive and gives unfair advantages to Meta’s own AI offerings.
The new WhatsApp Business Solution Terms, introduced by Meta last October, had prohibited external AI providers from deploying chatbots on the platform. Companies like OpenAI, Perplexity, and Microsoft warned that their chatbots would no longer be available on WhatsApp once the policy took effect on January 15. While Meta’s rules still allow businesses to deploy their own AI or non-AI chatbots within WhatsApp, the restriction on third-party tools raised concerns among regulators and developers alike.
According to CADE, preliminary findings suggest the terms may create exclusive practices that favor Meta AI, the company’s own chatbot, while limiting competitors’ access to the platform. The agency is investigating whether the policy unfairly restricts innovation and competition in the rapidly growing AI sector. CADE emphasized that WhatsApp is critical digital infrastructure in Brazil, with millions of individuals, small businesses, and institutions relying on it daily for communication, financial transactions, and customer engagement.
Meta has maintained that the restrictions are meant to protect system performance, as the WhatsApp Business API was originally designed for specific business use cases. “Our focus is on supporting the tens of thousands of businesses who are building these experiences on WhatsApp,” a Meta spokesperson said when the terms were updated. The company also encouraged users who want to deploy alternative AI chatbots to do so outside WhatsApp, highlighting that the changes are intended to maintain reliability for businesses already using the platform extensively.
Brazil’s action follows similar scrutiny in Europe, where the European Union and Italy have launched antitrust investigations into the same Meta policy. The EU has warned that violations could result in fines of up to 10% of Meta’s global revenue. In response to European regulators, Meta has already allowed AI providers to continue offering their chatbots in Italy despite the rules coming into force, a measure that could be applied in Brazil following CADE’s order.
For developers and businesses, the ruling provides significant reassurance. It ensures continued access to WhatsApp’s platform without being forced to rely solely on Meta’s AI solutions. This preserves competition in the AI chatbot space and allows innovation to thrive within one of Brazil’s most important digital ecosystems, supporting both small and large enterprises that depend on automated messaging tools.
The move also sends a broader message to global technology companies: regulators are increasingly scrutinizing policies that limit access to emerging technologies. As AI becomes more integrated into communication platforms worldwide, companies like Meta will face growing pressure to balance proprietary control with fair market practices.
Meta has not immediately commented outside regular business hours but is reviewing CADE’s order. The outcome of Brazil’s investigation could set a significant precedent for how messaging platforms manage third-party AI integrations globally and influence future regulatory approaches in other regions.
