After Europe, WhatsApp will allow rival AI companies to provide chatbots in Brazil

Meta is now allowing rival AI companies to offer their WhatsApp chatbots to Brazilian users for a fee, a day after the company confirmed. similar concept for European users.

Earlier this week, Brazil’s antitrust regulator CADE ruled against Meta and rejected his request to block an earlier order blocking changes to his policy that sought to ban third-party AI chats on WhatsApp.

“After reviewing the case, the Court of CADE concluded that the security requirements were present. According to the journalist of the case, Councilor Carlos Jacques, there is evidence of legal validity, considering the importance of WhatsApp in the Brazilian market,” the decision of CADE. they read.

The regulator added that banning third-party AI chatbots on WhatsApp “would not be fair” and could cause harm to competition.

Meta said in response that it will allow third-party AI chatbot providers to use the WhatsApp Business API to provide their services on the app for a fee, wherever needed. The company will pay $0.0625 for a “message without a template” in Brazil starting March 11.

“Where we are legally required to provide AI chatbots through the WhatsApp business API, we are introducing pricing for companies that choose to use our platform to provide this,” Meta said.

Meta announced a change to the policy October is overwhich led to several searches in disbelief, especially since the company offers its AI chatbot, Meta AI, inside WhatsApp. The company has maintained that its WhatsApp Business API is not designed to support AI chatbots and that it puts a strain on the company’s systems.

Although Meta is now allowing third-party chatbots in some areas due to regulations, developers tell TechCrunch that they are hesitant to restart the service, saying that the prices set by Meta are high and could lead to high costs.

Zapia, one of the companies that filed a complaint with CADE in Brazil, accepted the decision.

“Competition and restrictions by powerful companies limit how technology reaches users. At Zapia, we believe that people should be free to choose the AI ​​tools they use, and innovation thrives when the platforms people rely on every day are open. We will continue to challenge these restrictions throughout Latin America, and now we look forward to seeing how Meta changes its policies in Brazil,” it said following the decision.