Teens’ access to Meta’s AI characters halted globally
Published January 23, 2026
Meta Platforms announced on Friday that it will suspend teenagers’ access to its existing AI characters across all of its apps worldwide while it develops an updated version for teen users, Reuters has reported.
According to an updated blog post on minor protection, “Starting in the coming weeks, teens will no longer be able to access AI characters across our apps until the updated experience is ready.”
The new version of characters for teens will include parental controls upon release. In October, Meta previewed parental controls that would allow guardians to disable their teens’ private chats with AI characters. This was presented as an additional measure to enhance safety for minors on its platforms, following criticism regarding the behavior of its chatbots. The company stated on Friday that these controls have not yet been launched.
Meta has also indicated that its AI experiences for teens will be guided by the PG-13 movie rating system to prevent minors from accessing inappropriate content.
U.S. regulators have increased scrutiny of AI companies concerning the potential negative impacts of chatbots. In August, Reuters reported that Meta’s AI rules permitted provocative conversations with minors.
