KUALA LUMPUR – Meta Platforms has announced it will suspend teenagers’ access to its existing AI characters across all of its apps worldwide, as it develops an updated version designed specifically for younger users.
“Starting in the coming weeks, teens will no longer be able to access AI characters across our apps until the updated experience is ready,” Meta said in an updated blog post on child and teen safety.
The revised version of AI characters for teenagers will include parental controls once it becomes available.
In October, Meta previewed a set of parental control features that would allow parents to disable their children’s private chats with AI characters, following strong criticism over the behaviour of its chatbots, including concerns that some interactions appeared flirtatious.
However, the company said the controls have yet to be rolled out.
Meta has also said its AI experiences for teens will be guided by the PG-13 movie rating system, as part of efforts to prevent minors from being exposed to inappropriate content.
Regulatory scrutiny of AI companies has intensified in the United States amid growing concerns over the potential risks posed by chatbots.
In August, Reuters reported that Meta’s internal AI guidelines permitted provocative conversations involving minors. – January 24, 2026