WhatsApp Faces Antitrust Probe in Brazil Over AI Chatbot Restrictions

Brazil’s competition watchdog has stepped in to halt a controversial WhatsApp policy that threatened to shut out third-party AI chatbots from the platform.

Brazil blocks WhatsApp’s AI chatbot restrictions

Brazil’s antitrust authority, Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE), has ordered WhatsApp to suspend a policy that bans third-party AI companies from using the WhatsApp Business API to offer chatbots, according to TechCrunch.

CADE is investigating whether the new terms introduced by Meta are anti-competitive and whether they unfairly favor Meta’s own AI chatbot inside WhatsApp.

Policy would have blocked major AI providers

Meta rolled out the policy in October, with enforcement scheduled for January 15, 2026. The rules would have prevented external AI services from operating through the WhatsApp Business API, effectively removing existing chatbot integrations.

Several major AI companies, including OpenAI, Perplexity, and Microsoft, had already indicated their chatbots would stop working on WhatsApp once the policy took effect.

Despite the restrictions, Meta’s terms still allow businesses to deploy their own AI-powered chatbots to communicate with customers on WhatsApp, a key point regulators continue to examine.

Global antitrust pressure builds on Meta

Brazil’s investigation follows similar antitrust scrutiny in Italy, where regulators have also questioned Meta’s approach to limiting third-party AI chatbots.

In Italy, Meta has already allowed users to keep accessing external AI chatbots on WhatsApp despite the updated rules. Regulators in Brazil may push for a comparable outcome as the probe continues.

Regulators see the case as a test for how dominant platforms manage access to AI services. The final decisions in Brazil and Europe could shape global rules around AI competition, platform neutrality, and API access for years to come.

In other WhatsApp news, the company is reportedly developing new parental control features. At the same time, WhatsApp has faced user backlash after forcing a switch to its new desktop app, a move many users criticized for reduced functionality and performance issues.