Meta opens WhatsApp to rival AI chatbots in Europe and Brazil, but developers balk at pricing

Meta Reverses Course on Third-Party AI Chatbots

Meta has agreed to allow rival AI chatbots on WhatsApp in Europe and Brazil, reversing a controversial policy change that drew sharp criticism from regulators and competitors alike. The social media giant will permit general-purpose AI chatbot providers to use its WhatsApp Business API for the next 12 months in Europe, a move designed to stave off immediate intervention from the European Commission 2

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. Just a day later, Meta extended the same arrangement to Brazil following a ruling by the country's antitrust regulator CADE 1

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The decision comes after Meta implemented a policy change in January that effectively barred third-party AI chatbots from accessing WhatsApp, allowing only its own Meta AI assistant on the platform 3

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. This sparked immediate backlash from AI companies and prompted antitrust investigations across multiple jurisdictions, with regulators questioning whether Meta was using its dominant position in messaging to unfairly promote its own AI services.

Regulatory Pressure Forces Meta's Hand

The European Commission threatened to impose interim measures last month to prevent what it described as potential serious and irreparable harm to competitors 3

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. Italy's antitrust authority had already ordered Meta to allow rival chatbots in the country in December, making it the first region where the company reversed its stance 2

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In Brazil, CADE's ruling was equally decisive. According to case rapporteur Councilor Carlos Jacques, there was evidence of legal plausibility given WhatsApp's dominant position in the Brazilian instant messaging market. The regulator determined that banning third-party AI chatbots would be disproportionate and could result in competitive harm 1

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. The policy change now applies to 30 countries total, including 26 EU members, three European Economic Area nations, and Brazil 5

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Controversial Pricing Structure Draws Developer Criticism

While Meta has opened access, it comes at a cost that developers argue is prohibitively expensive. The company will charge a fee ranging from €0.0490 to €0.1323 per non-template message in Europe, depending on the country 2

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. In Brazil, the pricing is set at $0.0625 per non-template message starting March 11 1

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Given that conversations with AI chatbots typically involve dozens of messages, these fees could quickly accumulate into substantial costs for third-party providers. Developers tell TechCrunch they are hesitant to resume services, saying the pricing set by Meta is high and could result in unsustainable expenses 1

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Marvin von Hagen, CEO of The Interaction Company which develops the Poke.com AI assistant, was particularly critical. "What Meta presents as good-faith compliance is in reality the opposite. The company is now introducing vexatious pricing for AI providers that makes it just as impossible to operate on WhatsApp as the outright ban did," he told Reuters 3

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. He urged Brussels to impose an interim order on Meta, arguing that the pricing simply replaces one anti-competitive restriction with another.

What This Means for AI Competition

Meta has consistently maintained that its WhatsApp Business API was not designed to cater to AI chatbots and that they strain the company's systems 1

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. The company also argues that the AI space remains highly competitive, with users having access to services through app stores, search engines, email services, and other channels 2

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However, the timing of the original policy change raised eyebrows. Meta announced it in October 2025, just as its own Meta AI was gaining traction on WhatsApp, leading regulators to question whether the company was leveraging its messaging platform dominance to gain an unfair advantage in the AI market 4

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The European Commission spokesperson indicated that regulators are analyzing how Meta's changes might affect both the interim measures investigation and the broader antitrust investigation 2

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. Whether the current pricing model will satisfy regulators remains to be seen, particularly given the vocal opposition from developers who view it as another barrier to entry.

For AI companies considering WhatsApp integration, the next 12 months will be critical. They must weigh the potential reach of WhatsApp's massive user base against the costs of Meta's fee structure, all while regulators continue to scrutinize whether the playing field has truly been leveled. The outcome could set important precedents for how dominant platforms must accommodate competing AI services in an increasingly AI-driven digital landscape.