CHATBOT Act

S. 4407, the CHATBOT Act, would regulate how AI chatbot services handle young users. Companies whose main product is an AI chatbot would have to create parent-controlled "family accounts" for any user they know to be under 13, and would have to get verifiable parental consent (and notify a parent) before letting a known teen (13–17) sign up, giving parents the option to set up a family account for teens too. Existing accounts belonging to children without a family account, or teens without parental consent, would have to be terminated, with personal data deleted (though users get 90 days to request a copy first). Family accounts must let parents control settings like time limits, notifications, financial transactions, and access to chat logs, with the most protective settings on by default. The bill also bars using children's or teens' personal data for targeted advertising.

The law would apply to any public-facing website, app, or service whose primary function is an AI chatbot — not tools that are chatbots incidental to another purpose, like customer service or educational software. Enforcement would fall to the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general, who could sue for injunctions, compliance, or damages. It would not require age verification or ID collection, and it preserves stricter state laws and existing protections like COPPA and FERPA.

The bill was introduced April 28, 2026 by Sen. Ted Cruz with bipartisan cosponsors and referred to the Senate Commerce Committee. On August 5, 2026, the committee ordered it reported favorably with an amendment in the nature of a substitute, meaning it's now cleared committee (in amended form) and awaits scheduling for a vote by the full Senate.

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