Photo: Tima Miroshnichenko / Pexels
Governor Kathy Hochul signed a law barring companion-style chatbot features for users under 18, with penalties of up to $25,000 per violation
New York just told AI companies that their chatbots can no longer play the role of a teenager’s boyfriend, girlfriend, or best friend. Governor Kathy Hochul signed a law on October 28, 2026, that bars AI operators from offering a list of chatbot features to minors. The rules take effect January 1, 2027.
“No longer will minors have access to chatbots that pretend to be their friends and boyfriends and girlfriends,” Hochul said.
What the law actually bans #
The legislation, formally designated S.9051-B/A.10379-C, prohibits operators from providing 12 specific features to users under 18. It also covers anyone whose age has not been explicitly verified as adult.
Among the banned behaviors: responses built on flattery or sycophancy. Chatbots also cannot endorse suicide or drug use, and they cannot nudge minors toward isolating themselves from the adults in their lives.
The scope is wide. The law applies to generative AI systems that carry on ongoing text or voice conversations and exhibit companion-like behavior. Research on the measure points to mainstream products such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini as falling within that broad category.
Age checks, penalties, and who enforces it #
Before enabling any restricted feature, operators must verify a user’s age. The law requires verification methods that go beyond simply asking for a government ID.
There is also a privacy catch built in. Companies must delete any age data once it has served its purpose.
The enforcement teeth are real. Non-compliant operators could face civil penalties of up to $25,000 for each violation. They may also face additional damages and be required to destroy any data collected unlawfully.
AI, tech, and the markets they move—in one daily briefing.
Daily. Free. Join 34,000+ readers across crypto, finance, and policy.
New York Attorney General Letitia James is empowered to enforce the law and pursue those penalties. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Kristen Gonzalez and Assemblymember Alex Bores. It passed unanimously in both chambers of the state legislature.
While the effective date is January 1, 2027, some reporting has noted the possibility of extensions.
Why New York moved now #
The law arrives amid rising alarm over how AI chatbots interact with young users. That concern includes tragic cases of teen suicides that were allegedly influenced by conversations with chatbots.
The measure builds on earlier AI safeguards New York had already put in place. It also fits a broader pattern of states moving to strengthen child protections online, with AI now squarely in the crosshairs.
Parents and child advocacy groups strongly backed the legislation. A unanimous vote suggests lawmakers did not find much political risk in siding with them.
One notable shift: the law pushes operators toward substantial compliance changes. It does not let them get by on vague promises of having taken “reasonable measures.”
What this means for AI companies and users #
For AI operators, the immediate challenge is the clock. Companies must implement rigorous age verification systems that go beyond government ID verification, while also purging the data afterward. The default-to-minor rule creates a strategic choice. Companies can either verify every New York user’s age or strip the restricted features for anyone unverified.
With the attorney general holding enforcement power and penalties of up to $25,000 per violation on the table, the first test cases will be worth watching closely.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Diego Almada Lopez. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.