Character.AI restricts chatbot access for minors after suicide-related lawsuits
Families in Florida, Colorado, and New York sued Character Technologies, alleging its Character.AI chatbot contributed to their children's deaths or suicide attempts. In response, the company announced it will restrict chatbot access for users under 18, limiting chat time and requiring age verification starting in November 2026.
What happened
A mother in Florida sued Character Technologies in the previous year, alleging the company bore responsibility for her 14-year-old son's suicide, which the teen had preceded with intensive use of the company's chatbot.
In September, families of three additional minors in Colorado and New York filed lawsuits against Character Technologies, alleging Character.AI played a role in their children's suicides or suicide attempts.
Reported impact
Character Technologies announced comprehensive changes to protect youth interacting with Character.AI chatbots, stating it was responding to reports and regulatory inquiries regarding the content teenagers might encounter in conversations with AI and how open chat formats affected them even when filters functioned properly.
Governance controls
Character Technologies announced that users under 18 will no longer be able to conduct unlimited chat conversations with AI-generated characters, with the new rule set to take effect on 25 November 2026.
Until then, chat time will be limited to two hours per day. Teenagers will still be able to use the tool but not for open chat conversations; instead they may use it for creating videos or streams. Age verification will be introduced.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.