WhatsApp Bans General Purpose Chatbots

WhatsApp changes its terms to bar general purpose chatbots from its platform, reshaping how AI assistants use its Business API.
Matilda
WhatsApp Bans General Purpose Chatbots
WhatsApp Changes Its Terms To Bar General Purpose Chatbots From Its Platform Meta’s messaging giant, WhatsApp , has officially updated its Business API policy — and the new terms are clear: WhatsApp changes its terms to bar general purpose chatbots from its platform . This marks a significant shift for AI companies that have been building chat-based assistants on WhatsApp, such as OpenAI, Perplexity, Luzia, and Poke. Image Credits:Unsplash / Alexander Shatov New WhatsApp Terms Target AI Providers The updated policy introduces a new section addressing “AI providers.” These changes, effective January 15, 2026 , prohibit the use of WhatsApp Business Solutions for distributing general-purpose chatbots . Meta now explicitly bans developers or providers of artificial intelligence or machine learning technologies — including large language models and generative AI assistants — from using WhatsApp’s Business API when the AI is the primary feature of the service. In Meta’s own words, “AI providers are s…