Brazil Pushes Back As WhatsApp Softens Its Stance
WhatsApp’s plans to curb third-party AI chatbots have hit fresh resistance, with Brazil emerging as a key flashpoint where regulators have forced Meta to pause enforcement and quietly roll back restrictions for local users.
Meta has confirmed that AI providers can continue operating chatbots for users with Brazilian phone numbers, days after the country’s competition authority stepped in to block new rules on WhatsApp’s Business API.
The decision effectively freezes enforcement of a policy that would have limited access to general-purpose AI tools on the messaging platform.
According to a notice sent to developers and seen by TechCrunch, Meta told AI providers that they do not need to stop responding to users or display shutdown notices when messaging people with Brazil’s +55 country code.
The message states:
“The requirement to cease responding to user queries and implement pre-approved auto-reply language (mentioned below) before January 15, 2026, no longer applies when messaging people with a Brazil country code (+55).”
A Policy Meant To Restrict General AI Bots
Under Meta’s original plan, WhatsApp was set to block third-party, general-purpose chatbots from being offered through its Business API.
Tools such as ChatGPT and Grok were among those expected to be affected, while customer service bots used by businesses were always allowed to remain.
The policy officially takes effect on Thursday, 15 January, alongside a 90-day grace period.
During that window, developers were instructed to stop replying to users and inform them that their chatbots would no longer function on WhatsApp.
Brazil is now exempt from those requirements, at least for the time being.
Competition Watchdog Raises Red Flags
Brazil’s competition authority, CADE, has opened a formal investigation into Meta’s updated WhatsApp terms.
The regulator is assessing whether the policy could restrict competition by limiting access for rival AI providers while favouring Meta AI, the company’s own chatbot built into WhatsApp.
CADE has also ordered a suspension of the new terms tied to WhatsApp Business in Brazil while the probe continues.
In its notice, the agency pointed to potential exclusionary practices that could harm fair access to users in a fast-growing AI market.
Italy And Europe Show A Familiar Pattern
Brazil is not alone.
Meta previously carved out a similar exemption in Italy after regulators raised concerns late last year.
The European Union has also intensified scrutiny of Meta’s AI strategy on WhatsApp, with antitrust authorities examining how Meta AI is being rolled out and promoted on the platform.
The repeated interventions suggest growing unease among regulators about large platforms using policy changes to reshape how AI services reach users, especially where the platform also offers its own competing product.
Meta Says AI Bots Strain WhatsApp’s Systems
Meta continues to defend its position, arguing that WhatsApp’s Business API was not designed to support high-volume, general-purpose AI chatbots.
The company says the surge in automated conversations has placed pressure on systems built mainly for customer support and business messaging.
Responding to CADE’s investigation, a WhatsApp spokesperson rejected claims of unfair conduct.
The spokesperson said,
“These claims are fundamentally flawed. The emergence of AI chatbots on our Business API put a strain on our systems that they were not designed to support.”
The spokesperson added that treating WhatsApp as a main distribution channel for AI tools misses the point.
“This logic assumes WhatsApp is somehow a de facto app store. The route to market for AI companies is the app stores themselves, their websites and industry partnerships; not the WhatsApp Business Platform.”
Why Brazil Matters For AI Providers
Brazil is one of WhatsApp’s largest markets globally, making the exemption particularly important for AI developers that rely on the app to reach users.
For now, general-purpose chatbots can continue operating without interruption for Brazilian users, preserving access for people who use these tools for information, work and experimentation.
Whether the pause turns into a longer-term rollback will depend on the outcome of CADE’s investigation.
What is clear is that Brazil’s intervention has forced Meta to slow down and rethink how its AI policies land in key markets, especially where competition concerns are front and centre.