Meta Tightens WhatsApp Commerce Rules
Meta is tightening its WhatsApp Business messaging policy enforcement in India, with stricter compliance checks and quarterly updates for 2026. Businesses must now complete Meta's Business Verification to send messages at scale, and even minor infractions like messaging without explicit opt-in can lead to account suspension.
The new rules align with a broader regulatory crackdown in India. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has been tightening its framework against unsolicited commercial communication, mandating explicit user consent and using a blockchain-based system to track business messages. Adding to the pressure, India's Department of Telecommunications (DoT) implemented new SIM-binding rules effective March 1, 2026. These regulations require a user's WhatsApp account to be continuously linked to the active SIM card used at registration and force web-based sessions to log out every six hours, disrupting shared login practices for many small businesses. This policy shift follows significant legal precedent. In November 2024, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) imposed a ₹213.14 crore penalty on Meta for abusing its dominant position with its 2021 "take-it-or-leave-it" privacy policy. The CCI also barred WhatsApp from sharing user data with other Meta platforms for advertising purposes for five years. Beyond verification, Meta is also targeting AI usage. A key policy update, effective January 15, 2026, prohibits general-purpose AI chatbots like ChatGPT from using the Business API as their primary function. AI is now only permitted for specific, predefined business tasks such as customer support or processing orders. The financial calculus for businesses is also changing. Starting January 1, 2026, the price for marketing messages sent to Indian users will increase by approximately 10% to ₹0.8631 per message. Pricing for utility and authentication messages will remain unchanged. Penalties for non-compliance are now tiered and more severe. Violations will trigger escalating blocks on sending messages, starting from one to three days and extending up to 30 days. Repeated infractions or severe policy harm, such as scams, can lead to immediate and permanent account suspension.
