WhatsApp, the Meta-owned messaging platform, has updated its Business API policy to prohibit general-purpose chatbots, a move set to take effect on January 15, 2026. This policy revision is anticipated to impact several AI model providers, including companies such as OpenAI, Perplexity, Khosla Ventures-backed Luzia, and General Catalyst-backed Poke, which have previously utilized the platform for distributing their AI assistants.
The updated terms introduce a new section specifically addressing "AI providers," stating that Meta will not permit these entities to distribute their general-purpose AI assistants on WhatsApp. The policy language specifies that "Providers and developers of artificial intelligence or machine learning technologies... are strictly prohibited from accessing or using the WhatsApp Business Solution... for the purposes of providing, delivering, offering, selling, or otherwise making available such technologies when such technologies are the primary (rather than incidental or ancillary) functionality."
Meta confirmed to TechCrunch that the policy change does not apply to businesses employing AI for specific customer service functions on WhatsApp. For instance, a travel company using a bot to manage customer inquiries will remain unaffected by the new terms. The company's rationale, as conveyed to TechCrunch, is that the WhatsApp Business API was designed for businesses to serve customers, not as a platform for general chatbot distribution.
A Meta spokesperson stated, "The purpose of the WhatsApp Business API is to help businesses provide customer support and send relevant updates. Our focus is on supporting the tens of thousands of businesses who are building these experiences on WhatsApp." Meta indicated that unanticipated use cases involving general-purpose chatbots had generated increased message volume, placing a burden on its systems and requiring support mechanisms for which the company was not prepared. The company aims to restrict uses that fall outside the "intended design and strategic focus" of the API.
This policy adjustment effectively positions Meta AI as the exclusive general-purpose assistant available within the chat application, removing WhatsApp as a distribution channel for third-party AI solutions. The shift also addresses an underlying revenue model issue; while WhatsApp's Business API generates revenue by charging businesses for various message templates (e.g., marketing, utility, authentication, support), there was no established provision for monetizing general-purpose chatbots. Mark Zuckerberg, Meta's CEO, highlighted the significant revenue opportunity in business messaging during Meta's Q1 2025 earnings call, stating, "Business messaging should be the next pillar of our business."
