Meta Platforms announced Friday it is halting teens’ access to artificial intelligence characters on Instagram and WhatsApp, according to a blog post from the company. The pause, set to begin in coming weeks, applies to anyone who gave Meta a birthday indicating they are a minor, as well as people the company suspects are teenagers based on its age-prediction technology. The move comes as Meta, along with YouTube and TikTok, prepares to face trial in Los Angeles over allegations that their platforms cause harm to children.
The restriction reflects growing concern across the technology industry about the effects of artificial intelligence conversations on young users, with other platforms similarly limiting or banning teen access to chatbots as child safety lawsuits mount.
What’s Being Restricted
Unlike the broader AI assistant, which teens will continue to access, the specialized AI characters—interactive chatbots designed to simulate specific personalities—will be removed from Instagram and WhatsApp within the coming weeks.
Who Is Affected and When
The restriction applies to anyone whose account indicates they are under 18, as well as older users the company suspects of being teenagers based on age-prediction technology. Meta developed this technology to identify users who may have misrepresented their age when creating accounts. The company did not specify the exact date of the rollout, saying only that the pause would begin in the coming weeks.
Litigation and Industry Response
Meta’s move comes one week before the company faces trial in Los Angeles alongside YouTube and TikTok over allegations that their platforms cause harm to children. The three companies face multiple claims from users and families arguing that their applications exacerbate mental health problems and enable inappropriate interactions.
Other technology companies have taken similar steps. Character.AI, an AI chatbot platform, announced a ban on teen access last fall. The company now faces multiple lawsuits related to child safety, including a suit brought by the mother of a teenager who died by suicide. The mother alleged that Character.AI’s chatbots played a role in her son’s death.
A Precautionary Approach
No major technology company has publicly released research detailing the long-term effects of AI chatbot use on minors. The restrictions announced by Meta and others represent caution in the absence of conclusive evidence about safety. Mental health advocates have raised alarms about the potential for parasocial relationships with AI chatbots and the risk that such interactions could exacerbate existing mental health conditions.