Meta is banning third-party general-purpose chatbots from WhatsApp through a policy change to its Business API. The new rule, effective January 15, 2026, will make the company’s own Meta AI the sole general-purpose chatbot available on the platform.
The policy update, first reported by TechCrunch, will impact several AI services that have integrated with WhatsApp. These include the WhatsApp client for ChatGPT, which launched in December 2024, and the AI search engine Perplexity, which introduced its chatbot in April 2025. Other products, such as the Latin America-focused chatbot Luzia, are also set to be affected by the prohibition, which gives users several months to find alternative services.
According to the revised terms and conditions, access to the WhatsApp Business Solution will be prohibited for services where “large language models, generative artificial intelligence platforms, general-purpose artificial intelligence assistants, or similar technologies” constitute the primary functionality. The policy specifies that the ban does not apply if such technologies are used for incidental or ancillary purposes, targeting platforms whose main function is to provide general AI assistance.
Despite the restriction on general-purpose assistants, businesses will be allowed to maintain their own consumer-facing chatbots for direct customer interactions, such as a local takeout restaurant managing its orders. The policy change also permits companies to continue using data collected through WhatsApp for AI training, even though direct user interaction with the third-party chatbots via the messaging app will be blocked.
Meta informed TechCrunch that the ban addresses uses of the business API that are outside its “intended design and strategic focus,” noting that third-party chatbots were placing a burden on its systems and support teams. This change solidifies the position of Meta AI, launched in August 2024, as the exclusive general-purpose chatbot on WhatsApp. The move follows a May announcement from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg that the company’s AI tools had reached one billion monthly users.
