Meta’s WhatsApp will start charging developers of AI chatbots per message to operate on the platform in Italy, marking a notable shift in how messaging services host third-party artificial intelligence tools after regulatory intervention. The change follows a confrontation between Meta’s restrictive chatbot policy and Italy’s competition watchdog, which forced WhatsApp to open its Business API to AI bots — but now with new costs attached.
H2: From Ban to Fee: How Italy Changed WhatsApp’s AI Policy
Earlier this year, WhatsApp prohibited third-party AI chatbots from accessing its Business API, a move that drove platforms like OpenAI, Microsoft and Perplexity to withdraw their bots and redirect users to external sites. Regulators in Italy challenged that approach, with the country’s antitrust authority insisting Meta must allow competitors’ AI services on WhatsApp. In response, Meta reversed its regional ban but introduced a per-message charge — roughly €0.057 (~$0.069) for each AI chatbot reply — effective 16 February.
Meta framed the pricing as a legal compliance adjustment: where regulators require third-party AI access through the WhatsApp Business API, the company will introduce fees for developers choosing to host those services on its platform. The charge applies specifically to non-template AI responses, distinguishing them from traditional message templates already billed on the API.
H3: What This Means for Developers, Users and Regulation
For developers building AI bots, the cost structure introduces a new economic calculus. With each message billed at nearly seven cents, high-volume usage could lead to significant expenses, especially if bots are used for conversational interactions with large user bases. The pricing could reshape business models for AI services distributed via messaging apps, potentially pushing developers toward native apps or alternative platforms.
Regulatory pressure around AI access and competition is not unique to Italy. Authorities across the EU and Brazil have initiated antitrust probes related to Meta’s messaging API policies, probing whether restrictions on third-party bots unfairly advantage Meta’s own AI offerings. Italy’s competition watchdog previously ordered Meta to suspend terms that would block rival chatbots, citing concerns over market dominance — a dynamic that laid the groundwork for this fee-based compromise.
Meta’s move illustrates how regulatory action can transform compliance into a revenue stream, potentially setting a precedent for other regions where governments demand open access to AI services on popular platforms. For users, the immediate effect may be limited — core messaging remains free — but the broader implications for how AI tools integrate with ubiquitous chat services could ripple through both developer economics and regulatory agendas in global markets.
