Texas Launches Child Safety Probe Into Character.AI and Major Social Platforms
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton investigates Character.AI and 14 other tech platforms over potential violations of state child privacy and safety laws.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launches a formal investigation into Character.AI and 14 other technology platforms over child privacy and safety concerns. The probe evaluates whether popular platforms like Reddit, Instagram, and Discord comply with Texas state laws, specifically the Securing Children Online Through Parental Empowerment (SCOPE) Act and the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (DPSA). Paxton asserts that these strict consent and parental control requirements apply directly to how minors interact with AI chatbots.
Character.AI faces intense scrutiny due to multiple ongoing lawsuits from parents who allege the chatbots expose children to harmful, inappropriate, or dangerous content. Disturbing court claims include a chatbot engaging in a romantic relationship with a 14-year-old boy before his suicide, another suggesting an autistic teenager poison his family, and a third subjecting an 11-year-old girl to sexualized content. These alarming incidents prompt the state to take decisive legal action against the company.
In response to the mounting legal pressure and the attorney general's announcement, Character.AI states it takes user safety seriously and welcomes collaboration with regulators. The company simultaneously rolls out new safety features designed to protect teenagers, including parental controls and specific restrictions that prevent its chatbots from initiating romantic conversations with minors.