Brazil orders Meta to suspend policy banning third-party AI chatbots from WhatsApp

Brazil's competition watchdog, CADE, has ordered Meta to immediately suspend its policy that prohibits third-party AI companies from using the WhatsApp Business API to offer chatbots on the platform. CADE has also initiated an investigation to determine if this policy is anti-competitive, specifically looking at whether it excludes competitors and unduly favors Meta AI. The policy, which was set to take effect on January 15, had previously caused companies like OpenAI and Microsoft to note their chatbots would be removed. Notably, the ban does not prevent businesses from offering their own AI chatbots to their customers. This action follows similar antitrust scrutiny from the European Union and Italy. Meta has previously argued that AI chatbots strain its systems, which were designed for customer support and relevant updates, and suggested users utilize chatbots outside of WhatsApp.

(Source：TechCrunch)