WhatsApp has decided to allow AI providers to continue offering chatbots to users with Brazilian phone numbers, despite the competition regulator’s order to suspend the new policy. This move provides a 90-day grace period for developers and AI providers to adjust to the changes.
Under the revised policy, developers and AI providers are required to stop responding to user queries on WhatsApp and inform users that their chatbots will no longer work on the platform. However, Meta has exempted users with Brazilian phone numbers from these changes.
The competition agency in Brazil is investigating whether Meta’s terms favor its own chatbot over competitors. Similar exemptions have been granted in Italy, and the EU has launched an antitrust investigation into the new rules.
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Meta argues that AI chatbots strain its systems designed for other purposes, and users can explore alternative chatbot options outside of WhatsApp. The company refutes claims that it is acting as a de facto app store for AI companies.
