Meta said Thursday it will allow artificial intelligence companies to offer chatbots on WhatsApp through its Business API in Europe for the next 12 months, a move that comes as the European Commission considers potential interim measures related to an antitrust investigation.
The decision follows concerns from European regulators after Meta introduced a policy that prevented third-party AI chatbot providers from using the WhatsApp Business API to deliver chatbot services through the messaging platform.
“For the next 12 months, we’ll support general-purpose AI chatbots using the WhatsApp Business API in Europe in response to the European Commission’s regulatory process,” Meta said in an emailed statement.
The company said the temporary change would give regulators time to complete their review.
“We believe that this removes the need for any immediate intervention as it gives the European Commission the time it needs to conclude its investigation,” the statement said.
Regulatory Pressure From European Commission
The policy adjustment comes about one month after the European Commission notified Meta that it intended to impose interim measures to prevent the company from enforcing its earlier restrictions.
The original policy, which took effect on January 15, blocked third-party AI assistant providers from using the WhatsApp Business API to distribute chatbot services within the messaging app.
Several AI assistant developers complained to regulators following the change, arguing that the restriction disrupted their operations and limited competition.
A spokesperson for the European Commission said regulators are reviewing the impact of Meta’s latest decision.
“The Commission is analysing the impact these changes may have on its interim measures investigation, as well as on its broader antitrust investigation on the substance,” the spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
Fees For AI Chatbot Providers
Under the updated arrangement, Meta will allow providers of general-purpose AI chatbots to offer their services through the WhatsApp Business API for a fee.
The company said it will charge between €0.0490 and €0.1323 per non-template message depending on the country where the service is used.
Because AI chatbot interactions typically involve multiple messages in a single conversation, the cost of using the API may increase for third-party developers offering such services.
Scope Of The Policy Change
The restriction that triggered regulatory scrutiny specifically targeted general-purpose AI chatbots.
Services similar to ChatGPT, Claude, or Poke were previously prevented from using the WhatsApp Business API to operate inside the platform.
The rule does not apply to businesses that use artificial intelligence for customer support or automated responses. For example, a retailer using an AI-powered system to respond to customers with templated messages can continue to operate through the API.
Global Regulatory Scrutiny
Regulators began examining the policy after Meta introduced it in October.
Authorities in the European Union, Italy, and Brazil opened investigations into potential competition issues, particularly because Meta also provides its own chatbot, Meta AI, inside WhatsApp.
Earlier this year the company allowed developers to use its API to deploy chatbots in Italy.
WhatsApp previously defended its position by stating that its infrastructure was not originally designed to support general-purpose AI chatbot services.
“The AI space is highly competitive, and people have access to the services of their choice in any number of ways, including app stores, search engines, email services, partnership integrations, and operating systems,” the company said in an earlier statement to TechCrunch.
Featured image credits: Flickr
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