Meta will temporarily allow third-party AI chatbots on WhatsApp in Europe via its Business API for the next 12 months. This move aims to address European Commission regulatory concerns and potentially avoid interim antitrust measures.
The access will come with a fee per message, which could significantly raise operating costs for AI developers due to the conversational nature of their services. The European Commission is evaluating how this policy shift affects its ongoing antitrust investigation into Meta's conduct.
The main topics covered are Meta's policy reversal, the European Commission's antitrust scrutiny, the new fee-based access model for developers, and the competitive concerns surrounding AI chatbots on WhatsApp.
Meta on Thursday said it will allow artificial intelligence (AI) companies to offer their chatbots on WhatsApp through its Business API in Europe for the next 12 months, a move aimed at addressing regulatory concerns and potentially avoiding interim measures from the European Commission.
The decision follows the European Commission informing Meta last month that it was considering temporary measures to prevent the company from enforcing a policy that blocked third-party AI chatbot providers from offering their services through the WhatsApp Business API.
Meta said the temporary change is intended to support general-purpose AI chatbots in Europe while the European Commission continues its regulatory review. The company indicated that allowing such access for a limited period could remove the need for immediate regulatory intervention and give authorities time to complete their investigation.
TechCrunch reported on Thursday that under the revised approach, AI chatbot providers will be able to operate on WhatsApp through the Business API for a fee. Meta said charges for non-template messages will range between â¬0.0490 and â¬0.1323, depending on the country.
Because conversations with AI assistants typically involve multiple back-and-forth messages, the pricing model could significantly increase operating costs for third-party developers.
A spokesperson for the European Commission said regulators are examining how the changes could affect both the potential interim measures and the broader antitrust investigation into Metaâs conduct.
Metaâs original policy, which took effect on January 15, had prompted complaints from several AI assistant providers who argued that blocking access to the API disrupted their businesses and raised competition concerns.
The restriction primarily applied to general-purpose AI assistants such as conversational bots similar to ChatGPT or Claude that could be offered directly on WhatsApp via the API.
The company had earlier begun easing the restrictions in Italy, where developers were allowed to offer AI chatbots through the API starting in January.
Also Read: Meta AI already helping solve healthcare, farming and accessibility gaps in India, says Chief AI Officer
Regulators in multiple jurisdictions, including the European Union, Italy, and Brazil, launched antitrust investigations after Meta introduced the restrictions last October. The scrutiny intensified because Meta offers its own chatbot, Meta AI, within WhatsApp.
Meta and WhatsApp have previously argued that general-purpose AI chatbots could place significant demands on the platformâs systems, which were not originally designed to support such services at scale.
Also Read: Meta's new AI team delivered first key models internally this month, CTO says
The decision follows the European Commission informing Meta last month that it was considering temporary measures to prevent the company from enforcing a policy that blocked third-party AI chatbot providers from offering their services through the WhatsApp Business API.
Meta said the temporary change is intended to support general-purpose AI chatbots in Europe while the European Commission continues its regulatory review. The company indicated that allowing such access for a limited period could remove the need for immediate regulatory intervention and give authorities time to complete their investigation.
TechCrunch reported on Thursday that under the revised approach, AI chatbot providers will be able to operate on WhatsApp through the Business API for a fee. Meta said charges for non-template messages will range between â¬0.0490 and â¬0.1323, depending on the country.
Because conversations with AI assistants typically involve multiple back-and-forth messages, the pricing model could significantly increase operating costs for third-party developers.
A spokesperson for the European Commission said regulators are examining how the changes could affect both the potential interim measures and the broader antitrust investigation into Metaâs conduct.
Metaâs original policy, which took effect on January 15, had prompted complaints from several AI assistant providers who argued that blocking access to the API disrupted their businesses and raised competition concerns.
The restriction primarily applied to general-purpose AI assistants such as conversational bots similar to ChatGPT or Claude that could be offered directly on WhatsApp via the API.
The company had earlier begun easing the restrictions in Italy, where developers were allowed to offer AI chatbots through the API starting in January.
Also Read: Meta AI already helping solve healthcare, farming and accessibility gaps in India, says Chief AI Officer
Regulators in multiple jurisdictions, including the European Union, Italy, and Brazil, launched antitrust investigations after Meta introduced the restrictions last October. The scrutiny intensified because Meta offers its own chatbot, Meta AI, within WhatsApp.
Meta and WhatsApp have previously argued that general-purpose AI chatbots could place significant demands on the platformâs systems, which were not originally designed to support such services at scale.
Also Read: Meta's new AI team delivered first key models internally this month, CTO says
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