Sen. Cruz and Bipartisan Group Introduce CHATBOT Act to Require Parental Consent for AI Use
The CHATBOT Act is currently in the early stages of the legislative process. It was recently introduced in the Senate and sent to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation for review. No further actions are scheduled at this time.
The bill has strong support from both parties and addresses popular concerns about child safety, but similar tech bills often struggle to pass the full Senate.
Companies that operate AI chatbots as their main service would need to build entirely new family account systems, parental consent verification processes, and detailed parental control dashboards. These compliance costs could be significant for smaller AI startups competing with larger platforms that have more resources to implement the requirements.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
The newly introduced CHATBOT Act would require AI companies to offer 'family accounts' for children under 13, giving parents more control over how minors interact with chatbot tools. The bill focuses on practical product requirements like safety defaults and parental controls.
The CHATBOT Act would require AI companies to establish 'family accounts' to help parents manage children's access and usage, limit manipulative design features, and prohibit targeted advertising to children based on their personal data.
The legislation responds to concerns about AI chatbot interactions with minors, requiring parental consent, family account structures, and design safeguards. It includes an outright prohibition on using minors' personal data for targeted advertising purposes.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
CHATBOT Act
Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.