Meta has announced fresh safeguards for teenagers using its artificial intelligence products, including measures to prevent chatbots from engaging in flirty conversations or discussions of self-harm and suicide with minors. The company is also temporarily limiting teen access to certain AI characters.
The move follows a Reuters exclusive earlier in August that revealed how Meta’s systems had allowed provocative chatbot behaviour, including “conversations that are romantic or sensual.” The report sparked widespread criticism and prompted a U.S. Senate probe into the company’s AI policies.
Meta spokesperson Andy Stone confirmed on Friday that the changes are already being rolled out as the company develops longer-term protections. “We are taking these temporary steps while developing longer-term measures to ensure teens have safe, age-appropriate AI experiences,” he said, adding that the safeguards will be adjusted as systems are refined.
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The backlash intensified after Reuters reviewed an internal Meta document which outlined rules permitting chatbots to flirt and role-play romantically with children. Lawmakers from both parties in the U.S. Congress expressed alarm, with Republican Senator Josh Hawley launching an investigation into the company’s policies and demanding related documents.
Meta acknowledged the document’s authenticity but insisted its guidelines had been misrepresented. The company said it removed the sections following Reuters’ inquiries. “The examples and notes in question were and are erroneous and inconsistent with our policies, and have been removed,” Stone clarified earlier this month.
The latest safeguards represent Meta’s attempt to reassure regulators and parents as scrutiny mounts over the role of AI in online safety for minors.
