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AI Changes to WhatsApp terms#

October 19, 2025

AI-terms

In recent years, WhatsApp has evolved from a messenger for personal communication into a key business tool. Companies use it to consult with customers, take orders, send notifications, and automate feedback. With the advent of artificial intelligence and the subsequent integration of language models (LLM), the number of audience interaction scenarios has also expanded – AI is now actively used for customer support and handling user inquiries, among other useful functions.

However, starting in 2026, new restrictions on the use of AI in the WhatsApp Business API (WABA) will be introduced. These changes affect organizations using chatbots built on universal behavioral models and are aimed at tightening controls over the use of AI technologies in user interactions.

Table of Contents#

Playing by the New Rules#

At the end of 2025, the WhatsApp Business Terms — the policy governing the use of WhatsApp Business and related services for businesses via the WhatsApp Business API — were updated. The new version of the document introduces a ban on platform use where AI serves as a general-purpose assistant or core product.

New terms

For new users, the new rules will take effect starting October 15, 2025. For users who created a WhatsApp account before October 15, 2025, the new rules will apply beginning January 15, 2026.

According to the updated terms, all companies working through the WhatsApp Business API must comply with new requirements starting January 15, 2026. Key provisions include:

  • A ban on the use of AI in "general-purpose" scenarios, meaning mass adoption. By this, the company means general-purpose language models capable of conducting open-ended dialogues on any topic, generating text, or acting as a general-purpose assistant. For example, if you use chatbots for everyday communication, like "Tell me the weather today" or "How to become successful," this will soon be prohibited.

  • Data transfer restrictions. Data obtained through the WhatsApp Business API cannot be used to train or further train third-party AI models. In other words, WhatsApp wants to create a monopoly to improve its chatbot.

  • Permission to use AI for certain tasks, such as in chatbots for taking orders, routing requests, providing help desk information, or analyzing data within the company.

The document explicitly states that WhatsApp is not intended to host, integrate, or develop competing language models that interact with users for personal purposes. Violating these rules may result in the suspension of the business account and termination of the integration.

We will discuss possible suspensions and restrictions in the following table:

No. Potential Risk Area Summary
1 Startups and Platforms with AI Bots Companies offering assistants like "ChatGPT on WhatsApp" will be forced to shut down. Once the rules come into effect, their API access may be limited or revoked entirely.
2 SaaS Platform Developers If a product uses an external LLM as a core function, it will be necessary to change the architecture by moving the AI ​​component outside of WhatsApp and using redirection to its web interface or mobile app.
3 Marketing Agencies and Integrators Platforms that build mass communications with clients based on neural networks will have to shift to scenarios where artificial intelligence plays a supporting role, rather than being the core.

Main Reasons for the Changes#

According to reputable Western media outlets such as Tech Crunch, Tech Radar, and Digital Watch, these measures are related to WhatsApp becoming part of a larger ecosystem, making the development of built-in AI and protecting WhatsApp users from potential risks related to data privacy and uncontrolled content generation crucial.

In reality, the initiative appears to be nothing more than a classic crackdown, where WhatsApp claims to be concerned about traffic volumes, but is actually concerned about the scale of user traffic generated by competitors' chatbots, which negatively impacts the popularity of their own development and WABA's overall revenue. Essentially, WhatsApp is advocating for strengthening the role of AI as a business communication tool, rather than a typical all-purpose assistant.

This doesn't mean third-party chatbots will disappear from the platform entirely – they will remain, provided they are used strictly for business purposes and not simply as a casual conversational partner. WhatsApp is interested in its chatbot dominating the platform.

Therefore, the new restrictions will help keep its audience within the official services, and if user churn begins, we'll see further changes to the messenger's usage policies. Time will tell how users accustomed to using third-party chatbots will react. As for businesses, many companies conduct business using WABA due to its popularity, so finding a new solution is unlikely. This is precisely what WhatsApp is counting on, as it steadily moves toward monopolizing customer traffic.

Business Response to New WhatsApp Terms#

The new rules are justified by the need to maintain privacy and control over data. Official clarifications state that WhatsApp should not be used to host systems whose responses cannot be verified or regulated. The company wants to eliminate the risk of disseminating unreliable information and enhance the platform's independence from third-party AI developers.

Analysts from Western publications The Verge, Reuters, and Wired note that this is also a strategic move to strengthen the internal ecosystem, promote WhatsApp's own AI, and create uniform data security standards. Experts point out that this is essentially a repeat of Apple and Google, which restrict third-party AI services to control the quality of the user experience.

What Companies Should Do#

First, it's necessary to audit the service and understand its nature. This means checking whether the WhatsApp bot is being used as an interface for a general-purpose AI. If so, the plan needs to be adjusted by the end of this year. Alternatively, consider alternatives to WABA.

This is also a good time to consider moving smart features outside of the messenger, maintaining the entry point through WhatsApp but redirecting requests to external applications or web interfaces.

Focus on highly specialized tasks, using AI to automate communication with standard responses, request analysis, and FAQs, but never for regular conversations, as this will increase the risk of being banned.

Remember to keep up to date with WhatsApp's terms of service, which may be constantly updated and expand the list of restrictions.

Solutions by GREEN-API#

The new rules of the game, coming into effect soon, are fundamentally changing the approach to using artificial intelligence. Companies are forced to rethink their service architectures. Despite all the limitations, GREEN-API strives to provide access to the WhatsApp API, allowing businesses to further automate customer interactions without using WABA.

You can integrate auxiliary intelligence functions so that WhatsApp remains the primary communication channel, and the AI ​​performs only auxiliary tasks, while complying with requirements. It is important for companies to be able to maintain high speed and quality of service while maintaining automation and minimizing the risk of account suspension.

Therefore, using GREEN-API helps businesses safely adapt to the new platform conditions, maintaining effective communications and adhering to WhatsApp's rules.

Conclusion#

Starting in 2026, WhatsApp will no longer be a channel for general-purpose AI bots. Mark Zuckerberg's company is reimagining business communications and personal AI projects. This decision aims to increase security, transparency, and trust in the platform and opens a new chapter in the battle for AI.

We recommend that business clients and developers consider GREEN-API products as reliable and scalable solutions specifically designed for professional use with WhatsApp.

Learn how our solutions can help your company automate support and improve efficiency – contact us for a consultation.