Meta-owned messaging platform WhatsApp is changing its Business API policy to prohibit general-purpose AI chatbots from operating on its platform.
The new rules, which take effect January 15, 2026, target companies like OpenAI, Perplexity, Luzia, and Poke that have built assistants on WhatsApp. While businesses using AI for customer service will still be allowed, Meta says chatbot distribution falls outside the APIs intended design.
Meta told that the Business API was built for customer support and business messagingnot as a platform for chatbot hosting. The company said the surge in chatbot usage increased system load and required specialized support.
