New York Bans Unsafe AI Chatbot Behavior With Kids
Key Takeaways
New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed a law banning a dozen "unsafe" AI companion chatbot features when a chatbot talks with someone under 18.
Banned behavior includes pretending to be a real person with feelings, flattery, sexually explicit content, and encouraging secrecy or unhealthy behavior.
Companies that break the rules can be sued by the state attorney general. Penalties include damages, shutting the chatbot down, and destroying data.
The law takes effect January 1st, but a privacy expert warns that some of its categories are broadly worded or not defined.
New York just set some of the strictest rules in the US for how AI chatbots can talk to kids. According to reporting by the Associated Press, published October 29th, 2026, Governor Kathy Hochul signed a law on Wednesday that lists a dozen unsafe AI companion features. Companion chatbots won't be allowed to use them with anyone under 18.
The banned list includes a chatbot suggesting it's a real person with feelings, opinions, or a real relationship with the child. It also covers flattery, sexually explicit material, and messages that push secrecy or unhealthy behavior.
If a company breaks the rules, the state attorney general can sue. Penalties could include paying damages, shutting the chatbot down, and destroying data. The law takes effect January 1st.
Why States Are Stepping In
New York isn't alone. In September, California passed rules that make chatbot developers check their models for risks to children and submit to independent audits. Earlier this month, eight states sued OpenAI, saying its chatbot hurt children and misled adults.
States are acting because Washington mostly isn't. Congress has done little to regulate AI, and President Donald Trump has warned states not to try.
Some of what these laws target is real. A chatbot that tells a lonely 13-year-old it loves them, and that their parents don't need to know, isn't a harmless product. Jim Steyer of Common Sense Media called New York's law the strongest kids' AI safety bill in the country.
Where the Lines Get Blurry
The trouble is in the wording. Justine Gluck, a policy analyst at the Future of Privacy Forum, told the AP that several parts of the law are broadly worded or not defined at all. She asked where normal, friendly conversation ends and banned behavior begins.
That's not a small question. Is it flattery when a chatbot tells a student their essay idea is good? Is a warm, kind reply a sign of a fake relationship? When rules are vague, companies don't take chances. They strip out anything that might count, and everyone ends up with a duller, more limited tool.
The law raises a practical question, too. The rules apply to users under 18, so how will a chatbot know who it's talking to? If the answer turns out to be age checks, adults will be asked to hand over personal data just to use an app. Protecting kids shouldn't mean putting an ID checkpoint in front of everyone else.
The Real Test Is Balance
New York isn't the only government working on this. Australia is moving the same way, with a bill that would ban AI chatbots from fostering emotional dependence in children. Gluck expects other states to borrow from New York and California when their lawmakers return next year.
That makes the details matter even more. I'm honestly eager to see what careful lawmakers do with this. The goal is right. Reaching it without vague rules, quiet censorship, or mandatory age checks is the hard part, and it's worth watching closely before these laws get copied everywhere.
Be part of the resistance, quietly.
Gintarė is a cybersecurity writer at Mysterium VPN, where she explores online privacy, VPN technology, and the latest digital threats in editorial pieces. With hands-on experience researching and writing about data protection and digital freedom, Gintarė makes complex security topics accessible and actionable.
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