Meta revealed on Wednesday that it will start billing developers who run AI-powered chatbots on WhatsApp in markets where regulators compel the company to allow such services.
The announcement comes after Meta enforced a worldwide prohibition on third-party chatbots via WhatsApp on January 15. While the restriction applies globally, regulatory intervention in certain countries has required Meta to carve out limited exceptions.
Italy is the first market where the new charges will apply. The country’s antitrust authority had previously directed Meta to pause enforcement of its chatbot ban. Beginning February 16, developers operating AI chatbots in Italy will pay $0.0691 (€0.0572/£0.0498) for each AI-generated message sent outside WhatsApp’s standard template system. For businesses managing large-scale customer interactions, those per-message costs could rise quickly.
Earlier in January, Meta informed developers that Italian phone numbers would not be subject to the chatbot shutdown, effectively allowing AI services to continue there. At that stage, however, the company had not indicated that usage fees would follow.
WhatsApp already monetizes its Business API by charging companies for template-based messages used for marketing campaigns, account notifications, authentication codes, and transactional updates. The new structure expands monetization to cover dynamic, AI-generated replies that fall outside preset templates.
A Meta spokesperson stated that in jurisdictions where the company is legally obligated to provide chatbot access, it will charge businesses that choose to deliver AI services through the platform. This approach could be replicated in additional markets if regulators impose similar requirements.
Meta originally introduced the chatbot restrictions in October, explaining that WhatsApp’s infrastructure was not designed to reliably support large-scale AI-driven conversations and was experiencing operational strain.
Regulatory scrutiny has followed the policy change. Authorities in the European Union, Italy, and Brazil have launched competition-related reviews. In Brazil, regulators initially ordered Meta to halt enforcement of the ban, though that decision was later overturned in court. After the ruling, Meta instructed developers to discontinue AI chatbot services for Brazilian users.
As a consequence of the restrictions, developers must now send automated notices redirecting users from WhatsApp to external websites or applications to continue accessing AI services. Major companies — including OpenAI, Perplexity, and Microsoft — had already announced that their WhatsApp chatbot integrations would end after January 15, encouraging users to engage with their tools through alternative platforms instead.
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