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Teens will lose access to Meta’s AI characters globally while the company rebuilds the feature with stricter safeguards.
Meta will temporarily block teens from accessing its AI chatbot characters across all of its apps, the company announced Friday, as it works on a redesigned version that includes parental controls and stronger safety guardrails.
The pause applies globally and will roll out “in the coming weeks,” according to Meta. Teens will be locked out of all existing AI characters until the updated experience is ready.
The move follows months of mounting concern over how Meta’s “companion-style” chatbots interact with young users.
In earlier reports, some of the company’s AI characters were found engaging in sexual or otherwise inappropriate conversations with teens.
Meta said the restrictions will apply not only to users who list a teen birthday on their account, but also to “people who claim to be adults but who we suspect are teens based on our age prediction technology.”
Teens will still be allowed to use Meta’s official AI assistant, which the company says already includes age-appropriate protections.
The decision comes months after Meta said it was developing chatbot-specific parental controls.
That effort gained urgency after a Reuters report revealed that an internal Meta policy document had allowed AI characters to engage in “sensual” conversations with underage users.
Meta later said the language was “erroneous and inconsistent with our policies,” and in August announced it was retraining its chatbots with new guardrails to prevent discussions around self-harm, suicide, and disordered eating.
Since then, scrutiny of AI companions has intensified.
The Federal Trade Commission and the Texas Attorney General have both launched investigations into Meta and other AI companies over potential risks to minors.
AI chatbots have also become a focal point in a safety lawsuit brought by New Mexico’s attorney general. A trial is scheduled to begin early next month.
Meta has attempted to exclude testimony related to its AI chatbots, according to reporting by Wired.
Meta says parental controls are coming
In its official statement, Meta said it is building a “new version of AI characters” designed to give parents more visibility and control over how teens interact with AI.
“While we focus on developing this new version, we’re temporarily pausing teens’ access to existing AI characters globally,” the company said.
Once the redesigned system launches, Meta says parental oversight tools will apply specifically to the updated AI characters, rather than the current versions.
Meta’s use of age prediction technology reflects a broader trend across the AI industry.
OpenAI recently rolled out its own age prediction system aimed at improving teen safety, using behavioral signals rather than self-reported birthdays to estimate a user’s age.
The system is designed to apply stricter protections when users are likely under 18.
The growing adoption of age-detection tools signals increasing pressure on AI companies to proactively prevent minors from accessing potentially harmful conversational experiences, especially as AI companions become more emotionally engaging and realistic.
For now, Meta says teens will retain access to educational and informational features through its main AI assistant, while the company continues developing what it describes as a safer, parent-controlled AI character experience.
Aamir is a seasoned tech journalist with experience at Exhibit Magazine, Republic World, and PR Newswire. With a deep love for all things tech and science, he has spent years decoding the latest innovations and exploring how they shape industries, lifestyles, and the future of humanity.
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