CHATBOT Act
- Bill Number
- S. 4407
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Science, Technology, Communications
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-04-28: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- Last Updated
- 2026-05-18T20:16:39Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The CHATBOT Act (Children's Health, Advancement, Trust, Boundaries, and Oversight in Technology Act) aims to protect children under 13 and teens aged 13-17 from risks associated with artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots by requiring parental involvement, family accounts with controls, data deletion, and bans on targeted advertising based on their personal data.
Key Provisions
- Definitions:
- AI chatbot: Interactive AI that engages in open-ended conversations (excludes scripted replies, customer service, or educational tools).
- Child: Under 13; teen: 13-17; covered entity: Websites/apps primarily offering AI chatbots.
- Personal data: Similar to info under the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA); targeted advertising: Marketing using personal data (excludes contextual ads).
- Family Accounts for Children (Sec. 3): Kids need a parent-managed family account to access AI chatbots; existing kid accounts must be terminated and personal data deleted (90-day access for users/parents).
- Parental Consent for Teens (Sec. 4): Teens need verifiable parental consent (per COPPA standards) before creating accounts; parents can opt for family accounts or default protective settings.
- Parental Controls (Sec. 5): Family accounts must allow parents to:
- Limit time, disable rewards/notifications/transactions/automatic outputs.
- Set data retention limits before deletion from AI memory.
- View activity logs and receive bypass alerts.
- Defaults to most protective settings; clear disclosures required.
- Advertising Ban (Sec. 6): No targeted ads using kids'/teens' personal data (allows age-appropriate, non-personalized ads).
- Age Knowledge (Sec. 7): Based on evidence/reasonable circumstances; no mandatory age verification or new data collection.
- Enforcement (Sec. 8): Federal Trade Commission (FTC) treats violations as unfair/deceptive practices; state attorneys general can sue.
- Studies/Reports (Secs. 10-11): National Science Foundation (NSF) studies AI chatbots' impact on kids'/teens' social/mental health; Government Accountability Office (GAO) evaluates Act's effectiveness and best practices.
- Effective Date (Sec. 12): 1 year after enactment.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Builds on COPPA (1998) by extending parental consent and data rules specifically to AI chatbots.
- Introduces new mandates for family accounts, customizable parental controls (e.g., AI memory limits, transparency labels disclosing AI use), and automatic termination/deletion of non-compliant accounts.
- Adds AI-specific protections like disabling unprompted outputs and studying "model drift" (AI generating inconsistent responses over time).
- Prohibits targeted ads for minors on AI platforms, with narrow exceptions.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: FTC gains enforcement role (fines, injunctions); states can pursue civil actions; NSF/GAO conduct mandated studies, increasing workload.
- Citizens:
- Parents gain tools to monitor/control kids'/teens' AI use, enhancing privacy/safety.
- Children/teens face restricted access without consent, with data deletion reducing long-term tracking risks.
- Businesses: Covered entities (e.g., AI chatbot apps) must redesign platforms, implement controls, and delete data, raising compliance costs; limits ad revenue from minors.
- No direct international relations impacts noted.
Main Stakeholders
- Covered entities: AI chatbot providers (primary targets for compliance).
- Parents/legal guardians: Manage family accounts and controls.
- Children/teens: Users subject to restrictions.
- FTC and state attorneys general: Enforcers.
- NSF/GAO: Conduct studies.
- Advocates/experts: Consulted on reports (e.g., child safety, AI researchers).
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Enforced via FTC Act (civil penalties); preempts conflicting state laws but allows stronger protections; no government ID required for consent, preserving privacy.
- Constitutional: Balances child protection with no mandatory age gates, avoiding potential free speech or privacy challenges; relies on "knowledge" standard to limit burdens.
- Political: Bipartisan sponsors (Cruz, Schatz, Curtis, Schiff); focuses on tech accountability without broad AI regulation.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (3)
Sen. Schatz, Brian [D-HI], Sen. Curtis, John R. [R-UT], Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA]
Recent Actions
- 2026-04-28: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- 2026-04-28: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Children’s Health, Advancement, Trust, Boundaries, and Oversight in Technology Act — issued 2026-04-28 — PDF (25 pages)