The EU KIDS Act would keep chatbots off for children by default
The European Commission's 17 September KIDS Act FAQ says AI companions and chatbots for minors may not simulate human relationships in ways likely to create emotional dependency, may not carry a child's earlier chats into later ones by default, and may be used by under-13s only through parental controls. WIRED, working from a draft of the same proposal, says ChatGPT, Character.ai and Snapchat's My AI sit in range and that platforms could face fines of up to 6 percent of worldwide turnover.
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Default off, no carried memory
The Commission FAQ says companions accessible to minors may not use designs that simulate human relationships in ways likely to create emotional dependency. By default they may not carry a child's earlier conversations into later ones. They must be tested for risks to children before launch. Under-13s can use them only through parental control tools, and a chatbot built into a platform or game may not switch on automatically, may not be pushed at children, and must be easy to turn off. The European Commission published the KIDS Act proposal on 17 September 2026. Under-13s may use them only through parental-control tools. The same FAQ says fines can reach 6 per cent of total worldwide annual turnover.[1]
Products already in the frame
WIRED says the EU Kids Act proposed on Thursday would also restrict minors' access to social media and video-sharing platforms. Children under 13 would be banned from accessing chatbots without a guardian's supervision. The magazine names ChatGPT, Character.ai and Snapchat's My AI as products in the crosshairs. WIRED says ChatGPT, Character.ai and Snapchat My AI sit in the crosshairs of the EU Kids Act proposed on Thursday. Children under 13 would be banned from accessing chatbots without their guardians supervision. A draft seen by the magazine puts fines at up to 6 percent of total worldwide turnover.[2]
Enforcement sits on existing EU law
The FAQ says enforcement for platforms builds on the Digital Services Act and, for AI companions and chatbots, the AI Act, with the Commission directly supervising the most widely used services in the EU. WIRED adds that, according to a draft it reviewed, platforms that fail to build child-safety protections into their products could face fines of up to 6 percent of total worldwide turnover. The European Commission published the KIDS Act proposal on 17 September 2026: AI companions and chatbots accessible to minors may not use designs that simulate human relationships in ways likely to create emotional dependency. The Commission’s FAQ says these systems may not, by default, carry a child’s earlier conversations into later ones; they must be tested for risks to children before launch and monitored afterwards. Under-13s may use them only through parental-control tools. Built into a platform or game, a chatbot may not switch on automatically, may not be pushed at children, and must be easy to turn off. The same FAQ says fines can reach 6 per cent of total worldwide annual turnover. The text is a proposal; Parliament and the Council still have to decide. WIRED says ChatGPT, Character.ai and Snapchat My AI sit in the crosshairs of the EU Kids Act proposed on Thursday. Children under 13 would be banned from accessing chatbots without their guardians supervision. A draft seen by the magazine puts fines at up to 6 percent of total worldwide turnover.[1], [2]
