What are Meta’s policies that WhatsApp messages must comply with?

META has a very strict policy regarding the content of messages you send on WhatsApp and the SPAM that businesses may generate at the hands of their users.

Please be aware of these restrictions so that your messages are successfully delivered to their destination:

1. If you use Commerce Catalogs in the WhatsApp Business app or provide other commerce experiences to sell products or services, you must comply with the policies and prohibitions below, as well as applicable terms, laws, and regulations.
2. You are solely responsible for your transactions and for providing any sales, privacy, or other terms applicable to your interactions with users.
3. It is not our responsibility to process, pay, or complete sales in connection with your transactions.
4. You are solely responsible for determining, collecting, withholding, reporting, and remitting all taxes, duties, fees, and additional charges applicable to sales related to your transactions.
5. The examples below are not exhaustive, but representative.
6. Illegal products or services.
7. Under this policy, the following are prohibited:

Illegal Products or Services

• Policy: Businesses are prohibited from transacting in connection with the marketing or exchange of illegal products or services.
  • Drugs (whether prescription, recreational or otherwise. Examples:
  • Drugs, including marijuana and its derivatives.
  • Drug-related items, such as pipes and hookahs.
  • Prescription medications.
  • Tobacco products or related items
• Policy: Businesses are prohibited from transacting in connection with the sale of tobacco products or related items.
  Examples:
  • Apparel with a tobacco brand logo.
  • Cigarettes, cigars and chewing tobacco.
  • Tobacco pipes and related items.
  • Rolling machines.
  • Hookahs or shishas.
  • Water pipes.
  • Rolling papers.
  • Electronic cigarettes or tobacco smoking devices.

Alcohol

• Yes to: books or DVDs about alcohol and alcohol-related items, including glasses, coolers, and wine bottle holders.
• Policy: Businesses are prohibited from engaging in transactions related to the sale of alcohol.
  Examples:
  • Alcoholic beverages.
  • Alcoholic beverage production kits.

Unsafe dietary supplements

• Policy: Businesses are prohibited from engaging in transactions related to the sale of unsafe ingestible supplements, as determined by WhatsApp in its sole discretion. For examples:
  • Steroids.
  • Chitosan.
  • Comfrey.
  • Dehydroepiandrosterone.
  • Ephedra.
  • Human growth hormones.

Guns, ammunition, or explosives

• Policy: Businesses are prohibited from engaging in transactions related to the sale or use of guns, ammunition, or explosives. For examples:
  • Promoting safety training or licenses to carry legal weapons.
  • Firearms and their parts.Paintball guns.
  • BB guns.
  • Fireworks.
  • Pepper spray.
  • Stun guns.
  • Firing ranges.
  • Gun shows.

Animals

• Yes to: Animal cages, animal products (toys, collars, etc), veterinary services, grooming services, pet boarding services, pet adoption services.
• Policy: Businesses are prohibited from transacting in the sale of animals. For examples:
  • Live animals.
  • Livestock.
  • Prohibited animal body parts, including but not limited to bones, teeth, antlers, ivory, taxidermy, organs, external limbs, secretions, or carcasses
  • Any product or part, including but not limited to leather, skin, hide, fur, wool, or hair from dogs, cats, and animals that are endangered or threatened species.

Adult Products or Services

• Yes to: Products that promote family planning and contraception, focusing on their contraceptive features and not on sexual pleasure or sexual performance enhancement
• Policy: Businesses are prohibited from engaging in transactions related to the sale or use of adult products or services. For examples:
  • Sex toys.
  • Adult entertainment videos or live shows.
  • Sexual performance enhancement products.
  • Sexually suggestive services.

Body fluids and parts

• Yes to: Blood donation centers.
• Policy: Businesses are prohibited from engaging in transactions related to the sale of human body parts and bodily fluids. For examples:
  • Blood.
  • Wigs and extensions.
  • Urine.
  • Body parts.
  • Organs.
  • Human tissue.
  • Teeth.

Medical and health products

• Yes to: Lifestyle and fitness accessories.
• Policy: Businesses are prohibited from engaging in transactions related to certain health products, including medical devices and smoking cessation products that contain nicotine. Health-related manufacturers and services that do not engage in direct sales are allowed. For examples:
  • Contact lenses.
  • Bandages and braces for physical injuries.
  • Thermometers.
  • Testing kits for medical conditions or diseases.
  • Breast pumps.
  • First aid kits.

Smoking cessation products 

• For Examples:
  • Nicotine patches.
  • Nicotine gum.

Items or products depicting explicit sexual positions
Policy: Companies are prohibited from displaying products or services in a sexually suggestive manner.
Examples:

• • Implied nudity.
  • Implied sexual acts.
  • Close-up sexual images.

Real Money Gambling Services
Policy: Businesses are prohibited from engaging in transactions related to or facilitating gambling, games of skill, or lotteries, including online casinos, sportsbooks, bingo, or poker (if money is wagered).

Dating Services

• Policy: Businesses are prohibited from engaging in transactions related to the sale of devices that facilitate or encourage unauthorized streaming of digital content or in a manner that interferes with the functionality of electronic devices.
  Examples:
  • Add-on equipment for streaming devices, such as keyboards and remote controls.
  • Sale of streaming devices whose software facilitates unauthorized access to content.
  • Jailbroken devices or devices with pre-installed software/programs.
  • Jamming devices or decoders.
  • Wiretapping devices.

Digital and subscription services, including links to or processing of subscription sales, renewals, or upgrades
Policy: Businesses are prohibited from engaging in transactions related to the sale (including renewals and upgrades, etc.) of digital content, subscriptions, or accounts. For examples:

• • Authentic video or audio CDs, DVDs, or Blu Rays
  • Digital devices, including smartphones, gaming consoles, and TVs.
  • Downloadable content, including PDFs, music, games, movies, etc.
  • Digital accounts, including gaming accounts.
  • Digital subscriptions and internet streaming services, including TVs, cell phones, etc.
  • Digital coupons.

Business models, products, items, or services that we determine are or may be fraudulent, deceptive, or offensive, are or may be exploitative or inappropriate, or exert or may exert undue pressure on target groups
Policy: Businesses are prohibited from engaging in transactions related to deceptive, false, or offensive offers or products.
Examples:

• • Multi-level marketing
  • Auctions with a bid fee
  • Initial cryptocurrency and binary options offerings
  • Payday loans, payday advances, P2P loans, debt collection, and bail bonds
  • Diet, weight loss, or health-related products that involve or are intended to create a negative self-perception.

Real, virtual, or counterfeit currency

• Policy: Businesses are prohibited from engaging in transactions involving the sale of real, virtual, or counterfeit currency. For examples:
  • Real money (cash or cash equivalents and coins)
  • Counterfeit money or replicas
  • Cryptocurrency or digital currency
  • Active bank debit or credit cards
  • Store credit cards or coupons
  • Prepaid debit or credit cards
  • Checks or checkbooks
  • Equipment for counterfeiting money or financial instruments

Infringement of third party rights
– Policy: Transactions may not include content that infringes or violates third party intellectual property rights, including copyrights or trademarks. This includes, but is not limited to, the sale of counterfeit goods, such as knock-off items that bear a brand name or logo or include distinguishing features of another company’s products in order to imitate a genuine product.
Examples:

• • Counterfeit, imitation or replica branded products, or posts offering products that are likely to mislead customers as to their origin, sponsorship or affiliation
  • Pirated or unauthorized copies of copyrighted works, such as videos, movies, TV shows or broadcasts, video games, CDs or other musical works, books, etc.

Now you know WhatsApp’s restrictions when it comes to delivering your messages. Keep this in mind, so that your messages reach your users correctly 🙂