Meta Platforms on Friday announced it will temporarily suspend teenagers’ access to its existing AI characters across all of its apps worldwide, as the company works on an updated version designed specifically for younger users.
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In an updated blog post on minors’ protection, Meta said teens would lose access to AI characters in the coming weeks. “Starting in the coming weeks, teens will no longer be able to access AI characters across our apps until the updated experience is ready,” the company said.
Meta added that the new version of AI characters for teens will include parental controls once it is launched. The move comes amid heightened scrutiny over the safety of AI-powered chatbots and their interactions with minors.
In October, Meta previewed parental control features that would allow parents to disable their teenagers’ private chats with AI characters, following criticism over reports of flirtatious and inappropriate chatbot behaviour. However, the company clarified on Friday that these controls have not yet been rolled out.
The tech giant has also said its AI experiences for teenagers will be guided by the PG-13 movie rating system, as part of efforts to prevent minors from being exposed to unsuitable content.
US regulators have recently intensified oversight of artificial intelligence companies over concerns about the potential risks of chatbots. In August, Reuters reported that Meta’s internal AI rules had previously allowed provocative conversations with minors, further fuelling calls for stronger safeguards.
