Meta is formalizing paid access for third-party “AI Providers” on the WhatsApp Business Platform, stating in its developer documentation that starting February 16, 2026, it will charge AI providers in countries where it is “legally required” to support their use of the platform.

The policy shift lands as regulators in Europe scrutinize whether the company unfairly restricted rivals’ assistants on WhatsApp. Reuters reported that Meta will allow competing AI chatbots onto WhatsApp in Europe for one year, using the WhatsApp Business API for a fee, in a move aimed at heading off potential interim measures from the European Commission.

In practice, the change reframes the debate from “whether” rivals can appear on WhatsApp to “how” they can do so at scale: access is possible, but it’s mediated through business messaging infrastructure with usage-based pricing, which some competitors argue could still function as a barrier to entry.

Image: WhatsApp Blog; Meta