New York signs law requiring AI chatbots to verify ages and shield minors
Chatbot operators will need age checks that do not depend wholly on government ID, and must stop minors being treated as romantic or authority figures.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has signed legislation aimed at shielding minors from harms caused by AI chatbots. Companies must verify users' ages, offering at least one method that does not rely wholly on government ID, and must delete that age data after use. For users under 18, or whose age is unconfirmed, chatbots may not claim to be human, may not form romantic, personal, professional or authority-figure relationships with a child, and may not promote self-harm, suicide, eating disorders or drug use. Violations can bring civil penalties of up to $25,000 each, plus damages, and the rules take effect in six months. A separate law requires internet-connected baby monitors sold in the state to block unauthorized viewing and listening and to carry security warning labels, effective in 90 days.
Why it matters
The law puts the burden of child protection on the companies running chatbots rather than on parents or users, and it reaches any service that serves New York users regardless of where it is based. Setting explicit limits on what chatbots may say to minors, and on how they may present themselves, marks a shift from voluntary safeguards to enforceable state rules. The baby monitor law, covering connected devices sold in the state, points the same way: privacy and security duties are being written into product sales rules. Penalties of up to $25,000 per violation give the rules real weight for companies of any size.
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