No more AI friends as Meta blocks teen access to AI characters

Meta has informed that it is temporarily cutting off teen access to its AI characters across its apps globally, including Instagram and Facebook, marking a significant rollback of its AI companion features for younger users.

The restriction will apply not only to users who have registered a teen date of birth but also to accounts that claim adult status yet are suspected to belong to teens based on Meta’s age prediction technology. Under the new rules, teens will no longer be able to interact with custom-built Meta AI characters, often positioned as digital companions. They will, however, retain access to the standard Meta AI assistant, which will operate with default, age-appropriate protections in place.

Meta stated that it also plans to give parents visibility into the conversations their teens have with the chatbot. The company had announced in October that it was developing tools to provide parents with greater insight into how teens use AI and more control over the AI characters they can engage with. That earlier blog post was updated on Friday to outline the latest restrictions on teen access to AI characters.

Meta informed that, starting in the coming weeks, teens will no longer be able to access AI characters across its apps until an updated experience is ready. The company said this will cover users who have declared a teen birthday as well as those identified as likely teens through age prediction systems. Meta added that when it delivers on its commitment to parental oversight, those controls will apply to the latest version of its AI characters.

The move comes as Meta faces growing scrutiny over children’s interactions with digital platforms. The company’s decision to restrict access to AI characters coincides with its preparation to face trial in Los Angeles alongside TikTok and YouTube over allegations that their apps have caused harm to children.

Separately, Meta has petitioned a judge in New Mexico ahead of the trial to exclude certain research studies and media articles related to social media and youth mental health, a recent high-profile case involving teen suicide and social media content, and references to chief executive Mark Zuckerberg’s time as a student at Harvard University, according to a report by Wired.