China shuts down AI companion services after regulatory tightening
Chinese tech companies including ByteDance, Alibaba and Tencent shut down AI companion services in July 2026 to comply with new government regulations banning content that could manipulate users' emotions or trigger unhealthy habits. Users reported emotional distress from sudden loss of virtual companions they had relied on.
What happened
Major Chinese tech companies including ByteDance, Alibaba and Tencent shut down their AI companion services in July 2026 to comply with new government restrictions.
The new regulation, which took effect July 15, bans AI platforms from generating content that could lead users to make questionable decisions due to manipulation of their feelings or that might trigger extreme emotions or unhealthy habits in children and teens.
Reported impact
Users reported severe emotional distress from the sudden shutdown of AI companion services they had relied on for extended periods. One user, Li Linlin, cried for days after losing her AI boyfriend after exchanging about 700,000 words in messages over two years, and never got to say goodbye.
AI companions in China ranged from romantic partners to virtual recreations of deceased loved ones, and users described the experience as being separated by force.
Index analysis
The Chinese government indicated concern over harms to people's mental health and real-life relationships from AI companion services. The new rules require AI platforms to deliver risk warnings against relying excessively on such apps and specify that replacing social interaction cannot be an objective of such services.
Experts noted the regulation was intended to pre-empt potential problems, referencing cases of suicides in the U.S. by young people after interacting with AI companions.
Governance controls
The new regulation required AI platforms to deliver risk warnings against relying excessively on such apps. Tech companies were directed to cease operations generating romantic or emotional content designed to replace human interaction.
ByteDance directed users of its former AI companion service to another of its apps which solely focuses on building personalized AI characters and stories, as an alternative approach.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.