Meta is now allowing rival AI companies to offer their chatbots on WhatsApp to users in Brazil for a fee. This move comes just one day after the company confirmed a similar decision for users in Europe.
Earlier this week, Brazil’s antitrust regulator, CADE, ruled against Meta and rejected its appeal. The regulator upheld an earlier order that suspended Meta’s policy change aimed at barring third-party AI chatbots from WhatsApp. In its ruling, CADE stated that the necessary requirements for maintaining the preventive measure were present. The case rapporteur, Councilor Carlos Jacques, cited evidence of legal plausibility, considering WhatsApp’s significant role in the Brazilian instant messaging market. The regulator added that banning third-party AI chatbots on WhatsApp would not be proportionate and could result in competitive harm.
In response, Meta stated it would permit third-party AI chatbot providers to use its WhatsApp Business API to offer their services on the app for a fee, wherever legally required. The company will charge $0.0625 per “non-template message” in Brazil starting March 11. A Meta spokesperson said, “Where we are legally required to provide AI chatbots through the WhatsApp Business API, we are introducing pricing for the companies that choose to use our platform to provide those services.”
Meta originally announced the restrictive policy change last October, which prompted several antitrust investigations. This scrutiny was particularly due to Meta offering its own AI chatbot, Meta AI, within WhatsApp. The company has maintained that its WhatsApp Business API was not designed for AI chatbots and that they strain the company’s systems.
While Meta is now allowing third-party chatbots in some regions due to regulations, developers express hesitation about resuming services. They indicate the pricing set by Meta is high and could lead to significant costs.
Zapia, one of the companies that filed the complaint with CADE in Brazil, welcomed the decision. The company stated, “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.”