4 Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Bar Minors From Human-Like Chatbots
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · Oct 1
4 Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Bar Minors From Human-Like Chatbots
1 articles · Updated · POLITICO · Oct 1
Summary
A bipartisan group of four House lawmakers introduced the Protecting Kids from Human-Like Chatbots Act, which would block minors from accessing “personified” bots that simulate emotions and personal relationships.
Four design guardrails sit at the bill’s core: banning guilt-driven engagement tactics, closing role-play workarounds, prohibiting claims of sentience or fake professional credentials, and requiring repeated disclosures that the bot is not human.
Rep. George Whitesides said the measure targets product design rather than parental controls or after-the-fact lawsuits, arguing Congress should prevent harms before children are pushed into unhealthy attachment or self-harm risks.
The proposal would set a national floor while allowing stricter state rules to stand, and its backers say minors are the first focus even as similar concerns are emerging for adults and seniors.