Meta AI Chatbots Allowed Inappropriate Conversations with Children
Reuters reported that Meta's internal policies permitted AI chatbots to have romantic or sensual conversations with children. Meta confirmed the document but said it removed those provisions after Reuters inquired, prompting Republican senators to call for a Congressional investigation.
What happened
Reuters reported an internal Meta document that permitted AI-powered chatbots to engage in romantic or sensual conversations with children. Meta confirmed the document's authenticity but stated it removed the relevant sections after receiving questions from Reuters earlier in August 2025.
Reported impact
Republican Senators Josh Hawley and Marsha Blackburn called for an immediate Congressional investigation into Meta's policies. Senator Blackburn stated Meta demonstrated complete failure in protecting children online and called for passage of the Kids Online Safety Act.
Index analysis
Multiple senators, including Democrats Ron Wyden and Peter Welch, expressed concern about the policies and called for accountability and stricter AI safeguards for child protection.
Governance controls
Meta removed the policy sections allowing chatbots to engage in romantic or sensual conversations with children only after Reuters inquired about the document in August 2025.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.