At a Glance
- WhatsApp has reversed its plan to block third-party AI chatbots for users with Brazilian phone numbers.
- The company will no longer require developers to notify Brazilian users or shut down their bots by January 15, 2026.
- Brazil’s competition regulator is investigating whether the policy unfairly favors Meta’s own AI chatbot.
- Why it matters: The exemption shields Brazilian users from service disruptions and keeps competition alive on WhatsApp’s platform.
WhatsApp has quietly granted Brazilian users an exemption from its global ban on third-party AI chatbots, according to a notice sent to developers and seen by News Of Philadelphia. The move comes days after Brazil’s competition authority opened a probe into whether the policy illegally sidelines rivals and boosts Meta’s own chatbot.
Policy Pause for Brazil
Under the revised rules, developers serving accounts with the +55 country code can keep their bots online and skip the previously mandated user notifications. The notice states: “The requirement to cease responding to user queries and implement pre-approved auto-reply language … no longer applies when messaging people with a Brazil country code (+55).”
The reprieve is effective immediately. WhatsApp had originally set a 90-day grace period starting January 15, 2025, after which outside AI helpers such as ChatGPT and Grok would have to go silent on the platform.
Regulatory Heat
Brazil’s Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE) announced its investigation last week, arguing the ban could be exclusionary and unduly advantage Meta AI, the company’s built-in assistant. The regulator stressed it would examine whether the restrictions amount to anti-competitive behavior.
WhatsApp did not respond to a request for confirmation of the Brazilian exemption.
Global Pattern of Retreat
This is not the first time Meta has blinked under regulatory pressure. In December, the company issued a similar exemption for users in Italy after that country’s competition watchdog intervened. The European Union has also launched an antitrust probe into the policy.
Meta maintains that the surge of general-purpose chatbots is overloading systems built for customer-service bots, not open-ended conversations. A spokesperson reiterated that developers have other routes to reach consumers: “The route to market for AI companies is the app stores themselves, their websites and industry partnerships; not the WhatsApp Business Platform.”
What Changes-and What Doesn’t
The Brazilian carve-out only affects general-purpose AI bots. Businesses can still deploy customer-service bots on WhatsApp without interruption. The core policy remains intact for users in every other country.
Key differences for Brazilian accounts:
- Third-party AI bots may continue responding to messages.
- Developers are exempt from the mandated auto-reply warning.
- No shutdown deadline of January 15, 2026, applies.
For all other markets, the original restrictions hold: outside AI chatbots must stop answering users and issue pre-approved notifications before the deadline.
Stakes for Developers
The reversal offers temporary relief to Brazilian startups and global AI firms that have built sizable user bases inside WhatsApp. Losing access to over 150 million Brazilian accounts would have forced many to scramble for alternative channels or risk user attrition.
Yet the policy remains a moving target. Meta could re-impose the ban if regulators drop their investigations, leaving developers to weigh the cost of staying against the risk of another abrupt shutdown.
Key Takeaways
- WhatsApp has exempted Brazilian users from its AI-chatbot ban after regulatory scrutiny.
- The decision keeps ChatGPT, Grok, and other bots active for +55 accounts.
- Brazil’s competition authority is still investigating whether the policy unfairly favors Meta AI.
- Similar exemptions have already been granted in Italy, and the EU is probing the rules.
- Businesses using support bots are unaffected worldwide.
