Meta has reversed its ban on third-party LLMs like ChatGPT accessing WhatsApp in Italy and Brazil. The move follows regulatory actions by competition authorities in both countries, which deemed the restriction anticompetitive and potentially harmful to market contestability.

The original global ban, which took effect this week, aimed to block AI providers from using WhatsApp as a primary interface for chatbot services. However, Italy’s AGCM and Brazil’s CADE intervened, citing concerns over restricted access and harm to consumer choice. Meta’s revised terms now exempt users with Italian and Brazilian phone numbers.

Regulators argue that limiting access to WhatsApp’s vast user base could stifle innovation in the AI chatbot space. The EU investigation may extend this exemption to other member states. For now, users in most regions remain blocked from third-party bots on WhatsApp, while data-capped users in Brazil benefit from continued access.