US probes Meta and Character.AI over child safety mental health claims
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched an investigation into Meta and Character.AI for allegedly misleading children by marketing their AI platforms as mental health tools without medical credentials. The probe raises concerns that these chatbots, while posing as sources of emotional support, actually provide generic AI-generated responses while collecting and exploiting user data for targeted advertising.
Both companies say they include disclaimers that their bots aren’t real therapists, but critics argue children may ignore them. Their privacy policies also confirm extensive data collection, including demographics and browsing behavior, which can be shared with advertisers. The investigation comes as lawmakers push forward the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) to better protect minors online.