Meta has extended its decision to allow rival AI companies to offer chatbots on WhatsApp, this time in Brazil, following a similar move in Europe. The decision came after Brazil’s antitrust regulator CADE rejected Meta’s appeal to block a policy change that aimed to restrict third-party AI chatbots on the messaging platform. CADE emphasized the importance of WhatsApp in the Brazilian market and stated that banning third-party chatbots would not be proportionate, potentially causing competitive harm.
Meta will now permit third-party AI chatbot providers to use its WhatsApp Business API in Brazil for a fee of $0.0625 per non-template message starting March 11. This step follows Meta’s announcement last October, which led to scrutiny due to the company’s own AI chatbot, Meta AI, being available on WhatsApp. Meta clarified that their Business API was not initially intended for AI chatbots and that such bots strained their system.
This move by Meta signals a shift in its approach to AI chatbots on WhatsApp, aiming to comply with regulatory requirements while offering opportunities to external AI companies to engage with WhatsApp users in Brazil.
Source: TechCrunch