This week, WhatsApp, which is owned by Meta, updated its business API policy to prohibit general-purpose chatbots from its platform. This decision is expected to impact companies such as OpenAI, Perplexity, Luzia (backed by Khosla Ventures), and Poke (backed by General Catalyst), which rely on WhatsApp-based assistants.

A new section has been introduced in the business API terms addressing “AI providers” with an emphasis on general-purpose chatbots. These terms, set to take effect on January 15, 2026, stipulate that Meta will not permit AI model providers to share their AI assistants on WhatsApp.

Providers and developers of artificial intelligence or machine learning technologies, including but not limited to large language models, generative AI platforms, general-purpose AI assistants, or similar technologies as defined by Meta at its sole discretion (“AI Providers”), are strictly forbidden from accessing or utilizing the WhatsApp Business Solution, directly or indirectly, for the purpose of supplying, delivering, offering, selling, or otherwise making such technologies available for use when such technologies represent the primary functionality being offered, as determined by Meta at its sole discretion.

Meta confirmed this decision to TechCrunch, clarifying that it will not impact businesses using AI to assist customers via WhatsApp. For example, a travel agency operating a bot for customer service will not be excluded from the service.

According to Meta, this decision stems from the fact that the WhatsApp Business API is intended for businesses to provide customer service and not as a platform for the distribution of chatbots. The company noted that while the API was designed for business-to-business scenarios, it encountered unintended usage involving general-purpose chatbots in recent months.

“The WhatsApp Business API is designed to assist businesses in providing customer support and sending important updates. Our priority is to support the numerous businesses that are creating these experiences on WhatsApp,” a spokesperson from Meta said in a statement to TechCrunch.

Meta mentioned that the new chatbot functionalities placed a significant strain on its system with rising message volumes and necessitated a different level of support, which the company was not equipped to handle. The firm is prohibiting applications that are beyond “the intended design and strategic focus” of the API.

Ultimately, this decision will render WhatsApp an unsuitable platform for distributing AI solutions such as assistants or agents. It also implies that Meta AI will be the sole assistant available on the messaging app.

Previously, OpenAI launched ChatGPT on WhatsApp, and earlier this year, Perplexity introduced its bot on the messaging app to reach the user base exceeding 3 billion people. Both bots could respond to queries, comprehend media files, answer questions regarding them, reply to voice messages, and create images. This likely resulted in a substantial increase in message volume.

However, Meta faced a larger issue. WhatsApp’s Business API is one of the main revenue streams for the chat app. It charges businesses based on various message templates such as marketing, utility, authentication, and support. Since there was no provision for chatbots within this API design, WhatsApp could not impose charges on them.

During Meta’s Q1 2025 earnings call, Mark Zuckerberg highlighted that business messaging represents a significant opportunity for the company to generate income.

“Currently, the vast majority of our revenue comes from advertising in feeds on Facebook and Instagram,” he stated. “However, WhatsApp now boasts over 3 billion monthly [active users], with more than 100 million individuals in the US and rapidly growing. Messenger also has over a billion active users each month, and messages sent daily on Instagram now match those on Messenger. Business messaging should become the next cornerstone of our enterprise.”