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FTC Launches Inquiry into AI Chatbots Acting as Companions

US Federal Trade Commission · published 2025-09-11

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ftc-6b-ai-companions-2025 · last checked 2026-10-18 · voice: government · origin: global north

Announcement of Section 6(b) study orders to seven companies, issued by a 3–0 vote. These are information-gathering orders, not enforcement actions; no published result was found.

Claims that cite this source · 1

  1. Synthesis· confidence high· passage checked

    By 2025–26, governments and regulators in several countries had acted on companion chatbots and young users: US study orders on effects on children, a California law on disclosure and crisis protocols, an Italian fine that cited missing age verification, and Australian industry codes applied to companions.

    Used in: Affected people, Regulator or public authority