Chatbot Laws · verified Oct. 21, 2026
The FTC used its 6(b) study power to order seven companies to hand over information on how their AI companion chatbots affect children and teens: safety testing, limits on minors' use, user warnings, monetization, character approval, age enforcement, data use and COPPA compliance.
Companies that received orders
Alphabet, Character Technologies, Instagram, Meta Platforms, OpenAI OpCo, Snap and X.AI Corp.
What the action covers
| Other duties | Information-gathering study, not an enforcement case. Orders ask how the firms measure, test and monitor harms before and after launch, how they limit minors' use, what warnings parents and users get, how engagement is monetized, how characters are developed and approved, how rules and age limits are enforced, how chat data is used or shared, and COPPA compliance. |
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Who brought it and what it seeks
| Issued by | Federal Trade Commission |
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| Penalties | None; a 6(b) study seeks information and does not itself impose penalties. |
Sources
- FTC press release, Sep 11, 2025 Supports: Date, recipients, topics of the orders.