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6h ago

FTC Opens 6(b) Study Into AI Companion Chatbots Over Youth Safety Risks

Findings could feed enforcement, with companies set to discuss submission timing by Sept. 25.

The Federal Trade Commission is examining the potential harms of AI "companion" platforms to young people.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, center, looks away from the table at a dinner with various other tech leaders hosted by President Donald Trump in Washington, DC, on Sept. 4, 2025. 
BONN, GERMANY - MARCH 20: In this photo illustration Child playing at a laptop on March 20, 2022 in Bonn, Germany. (Photo Illustration by Ute Grabowsky/Getty Images)
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Overview

  • Orders went to seven firms: Alphabet (Google), Meta (and Instagram), OpenAI, Snap, xAI and Character.AI.
  • The agency seeks records on safety testing for minors, data collection and sharing, monetization of engagement, output generation, character approval and COPPA compliance.
  • Commissioners voted 3–0 to launch the market study, which is not a law‑enforcement action but can inform future cases or policy.
  • Character.AI and Snap pledged cooperation, OpenAI said it will engage and highlighted safeguards and planned parental controls, while Meta declined to comment.
  • The inquiry follows lawsuits tying chatbots to teen suicides and recent changes by OpenAI and Meta that add crisis routing, parental controls and restrictions on sensitive topics for teens.