WhatsApp plans to charge developers of AI chatbots per message.

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Meta will charge developers $0.0691 per message for running AI chatbots on WhatsApp in Italy, starting February 16. This follows Italy's competition watchdog forcing Meta to suspend its ban on third-party AI chatbots. The pricing applies to non-template responses and could result in significant costs for high-volume chatbot usage. Meta originally banned third-party AI chatbots in October 2025, citing system strain, but regulatory pressure from Italy, the EU, and Brazil has forced exceptions in some regions.

WhatsApp will now charge AI chatbots to operate in Italy