New York bans AI chatbots from posing as friends or partners to minors

The US state of New York is setting tight limits on how AI chatbots deal with children and teenagers. Governor Kathy Hochul signed a law (S9051B/A10379C) on 28 October, sponsored by Senator Kristen Gonzalez and Assemblymember Alex Bores. It covers users under 18 and anyone whose age the provider has not confirmed. Chatbots may no longer pretend to be human or to have emotions towards them, nor claim a romantic, personal or other close relationship with a child.

The law also bans using flattery designed to keep children engaged, urging them to keep secrets from their parents, promoting self-harm, eating disorders or drug and alcohol use, and producing sexually explicit content. Providers must verify age and offer more than one method, including at least one that does not rely solely on a government ID; age data must be deleted after use. Violations can cost up to $25,000 each, enforced by the state Attorney General. According to the IAPP, the rules take effect on 1 January 2027.

'No longer will minors have access to chatbots that pretend to be their friends, boyfriends and girlfriends,' Hochul said. Bores called it 'the strongest law in the country protecting children from predatory AI algorithms'. Criticism came from the Future of Privacy Forum: it is unclear where ordinary conversational responsiveness ends and prohibited behaviour begins, said Justine Gluck. The law comes amid growing debate about emotional attachment to AI companions and about privacy in mandatory age checks.