Meta is banning general-purpose chatbots from WhatsApp following a change to the WhatsApp Business API’s terms and conditions. The ban is set to take effect on January 15, 2026. After this date, Meta AI, which launched in August 2024, will be the only general-purpose chatbot available on the messaging platform.
The policy change impactos several third-party services that have integrated with WhatsApp. These include the WhatsApp client for ChatGPT, which was introduced in December 2024, and a similar tool from the AI search engine Perplexity that launched in April. Other products, such as the Latin America-focused chatbot Luzia, are also affected by the new rule.
According to the updated terms, “large language models, generative artificial intelligence platforms, general‑purpose artificial intelligence assistants, or similar technologies” are prohibited from using the WhatsApp Business Solution if they represent the primary functionality of the service. This restriction targets services where the AI assistant is the main feature, not an ancillary one.
However, businesses can continue to use their own consumer-facing chatbots for specific tasks, such as a local restaurant managing its orders. Companies will also still be able to use data collected via WhatsApp for AI training, even though direct user chats with general-purpose AI bots will be blocked.
Meta stated that it is banning use cases that fall outside “the intended design and strategic focus” of the API. The company added that third-party chatbots were creating a burden on its systems and support teams. The move comes after Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced in May that the company’s AI tools had reached one billion monthly users.
