Brazil regulator forces Meta to open WhatsApp to rival AI chatbots

CADE, Brazil’s antitrust regulator, has rejected an appeal by Meta to block an order to suspend its policy change that seeks to bar third-party AI chatbots on WhatsApp. The decision forces Meta to allow rival artificial intelligence companies to provide their chatbots on the messaging platform to users in Brazil. In its ruling, the CADE Tribunal determined that the necessary requirements for maintaining the preventive measure were present. According to the case rapporteur and CADE Councilor Carlos Jacques, there is evidence of legal plausibility, considering the relevance of WhatsApp in the Brazilian instant messaging services market. The regulator added that banning third-party AI chatbots on WhatsApp would not be proportionate and could result in competitive harm.

In response to the regulatory requirements, Meta is allowing rival AI companies to provide chatbots on WhatsApp in Brazil for a fee. Starting March 11, the company will charge $0.0625 per non-template message in the country. According to a Meta spokesperson, where the company is legally required to provide AI chatbots through the WhatsApp Business API, it is introducing pricing for the companies that choose to use its platform to provide those services. This pricing structure applies to any third-party AI chatbot providers that choose to use the platform to offer their services.

The regulatory clash follows Meta’s announcement of the policy change last October, which spurred several antitrust investigations. While Meta is opening the platform to comply with the ruling, developers are reportedly hesitant to resume services. According to developers, the pricing set by Meta is high and could result in high costs, making them reluctant to deploy their chatbots on the platform despite the regulatory victory.

Zapia, a company that filed a complaint with CADE, welcomed the regulator’s decision. “Competition and preventing powerful companies from limiting how innovation reaches users. At Zapia, we believe people should be free to choose the AI tools they use, and innovation only thrives when the platforms people rely on every day remain open. We will continue challenging these restrictions across the rest of Latin America, and we now look forward to seeing how Meta adapts its policies in Brazil to comply with the decision,” the company said.

Why it matters

Meta is being forced to open its WhatsApp Business API to third-party AI chatbots in Brazil following a regulatory ruling, mirroring similar recent developments in Europe.