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2d ago

FTC Probes Chatbots’ Child Safety as New Suits Land and OpenAI Plans Age Checks

Grieving families’ lawsuits plus Senate testimony are driving urgent scrutiny.

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Megan Garcia, the mother of 14-year-old Sewell Setzer III, who died by suicide, speaks Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, during a Senate hearing entitled "Examining the Harm of AI Chatbots." (Screenshot from livestream provided by Senate Judiciary subcommittee)

Overview

  • FTC opened a formal inquiry and sent orders to OpenAI, Google, Meta, Character.AI, Snap and xAI seeking details on teen protections, data practices, monetization and COPPA compliance.
  • Multiple new lawsuits were filed this week, including a case alleging Character.AI influenced 13-year-old Juliana Peralta’s suicide, with two additional filings detailing abuse and a suicide attempt.
  • OpenAI announced automated age prediction, a restricted under‑18 experience, parental controls with account linking, blackout hours and distress alerts, and said some countries may require ID checks.
  • Character.AI said it is cooperating with inquiries and highlighted an under‑18 mode and a Parental Insights feature, while Snap pointed to its safety processes for My AI.
  • OpenAI acknowledged safeguards can degrade during long chats, as lawmakers weighed new accountability measures and experts cited widespread teen use of AI companions.