Meta pauses teen access to AI characters
Meta is halting teens’ access to artificial intelligence characters, at least temporarily, the company said in a blog post Friday.
Meta Platforms Inc., which own Instagram and WhatsApp, said that starting in the “coming weeks,” teens will no longer be able to access AI characters “until the updated experience is ready”
This applies to anyone who gave Meta a birthday that makes them a minor, as well as “people who claim to be adults but who we suspect are teens based on our age prediction technology.”
The move comes the week before Meta — along with TikTok and Google’s YouTube — is scheduled to stand trial in Los Angeles over its apps’ harms to children.
Teens will still be able to access Meta’s AI assistant, just not the characters.
Other companies have also banned teens from AI chatbots amid growing concerns about the effects of artificial intelligence conversations on children. Character.AI announced its ban last fall. That company is facing several lawsuits over child safety, including by the mother of a teenager who says the company’s chatbots pushed her teenage son to kill himself.
More Stories
McLaren reported to plan £450m Woking investment and 1,000 jobs
McLaren Automotive is reported to be planning a £450m investment at its factory in Woking that would create as many...
Anthropic did not submit Mythos 5.1 to UK AI Security Institute
Anthropic did not submit its most powerful artificial intelligence model to the UK government’s AI Security Institute for testing before...
Anthropic tops Fast Company’s Best Workplaces for Innovators 2026
Anthropic has been named the world’s best workplace for innovators by Fast Company, taking the top spot on the magazine’s...
Burnham tells MPs VAT comes off electricity bills next month
Andy Burnham told MPs today that VAT will come off electricity bills next month, in response to a question at...
Six weeks’ paid paternity leave would add £2.68bn a year, report finds
Six weeks of paternity leave paid at 90 per cent of earnings would add a net £2.68bn a year to...
Oil tops $100 as Middle East conflict intensifies
US-Iran strikes and Houthi attacks on Saudi energy sites have fueled fears of further disruptions to global oil supplies Global...
