AI Compliance for Children & Minors Safety
Children & Minors Safety is addressed by 25 regulatory updates across 5 jurisdictions and 3 frameworks. This page tracks how regulators worldwide are approaching children & minors safety in the context of artificial intelligence.
Framework Requirements for Children & Minors Safety
Regulations Covering Children & Minors Safety
Australia(8)
Australia eSafety guidance and codes impose child-safety obligations on AI services
Australia’s eSafety updates say mandatory codes commencing on 9 March 2026 and the fully commenced age-restricted material rules now require AI companion and generative AI services to take meaningful steps to protect children, so services must act before that date.
eSafety issues advisory warning on unrestricted AI chatbots and child development
On 2025-02-18, eSafety issued an advisory warning that unrestricted AI chatbots are exposing children to sex, drug-taking, self-harm, suicide, and eating-disorder content, signaling immediate Safety by Design expectations for providers of AI companion products.
eSafety registers new industry codes for AI chatbots and age-restricted services
eSafety registered six new industry codes on 2025-09-09, creating legally enforceable obligations that will require platforms, app stores, AI companion chatbots, pornography services, and social services to implement age assurance, safety, and privacy safeguards before the social media minimum age obligation takes effect in December 2025.
eSafety Notices to AI Companion Chatbot Providers
On 2025-10-23, eSafety issued legal notices to four AI companion providers demanding explanations of child-safety protections, and the notice framework exposes non-compliance to daily financial penalties, with the first 30-day response point falling on 2025-11-22 if measured from the issue date described in the source.
eSafety online safety code and AI protections
eSafety’s green light for the search-engine code shows that AI-specific protections are being folded into Australia’s online-safety regime rather than left as voluntary best practice.
US Federal(6)
FTC launches inquiry into AI companion chatbots
The FTC has issued 6(b) orders to seven AI chatbot firms, signaling active scrutiny of testing, monitoring, age restrictions, and child-safety controls for companion-style AI products.
FTC inquiry into AI chatbots acting as companions
The FTC issued 6(b) orders to seven AI chatbot companies to probe testing, monitoring, and harm mitigation for children and teens, so consumer-facing AI providers should expect active scrutiny of safety controls and age-related risk management now.
FTC inquiry into AI companion chatbots
The FTC’s 6(b) inquiry into AI companion chatbots puts testing, age restrictions, and safety enforcement under review, so providers should assume regulators will expect documented controls over vulnerable users now.
FTC inquiry into AI chatbots acting as companions
The FTC opened an inquiry into AI companion chatbots, signaling immediate scrutiny of product design, disclosure, and harm-minimization in consumer-facing AI systems.
FTC-style privacy enforcement update not identified in source set
No FTC enforcement source was provided in the raw material, so no FTC update can be substantiated from the material alone.
California(5)
California AI and privacy legislative activity remains active
California’s AI/privacy legislative tracker and related materials show continuing state-level momentum on transparency, governance, and AI-specific consumer rights, so deployers should expect additional California requirements to layer on top of federal obligations.
California AB2169: Social Media Platforms and Artificial Intelligence Models
California AB2169 remains in committee after a postponed hearing, keeping social-media AI governance on the legislative agenda but not yet imposing new duties.
In the Interest of W.G., Minor Child
This state court ruling dated 2026-04-01 is identified only by caption, with no factual or legal excerpt to indicate any regulatory relevance.
Hoke Cnty. Bd. of Educ. v. State
This state court decision dated 2026-04-02 is listed without any substantive excerpt, so no compliance obligation can be extracted from the provided material.
California workplace AI tools bill
California’s Workplace Artificial Intelligence Tools bill passed out of committee and was re-referred to Judiciary on 2026-03-25, extending proposed state oversight of AI tools used at work.
United Kingdom(4)
ICO maintains enforcement posture on AI chatbots and biometrics
The ICO has continued investigating AI systems such as Grok and reiterating its willingness to use full enforcement powers, so AI chatbot and biometric deployments remain under active data-protection scrutiny.
ICO AI and data protection guidance under review
The ICO says its AI and data protection guidance is under review in light of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, so organisations should expect refreshed UK GDPR expectations on AI governance and risk assessment.
Family Court endorses secure AI use for judgment summaries
The Family Court published a judgment noting that secure Judicial Copilot summaries were useful for parents with learning difficulties, underscoring that courts will scrutinize AI use but may accept it when carefully controlled and beneficial.
ICO announces investigation into Grok
The ICO opened formal investigations into X and xAI over Grok’s processing of personal data and potential harmful sexualized content, creating immediate enforcement risk for similar AI deployments.
Canada(2)
Canada Bill C-27 Advances Artificial Intelligence and Data Act
Canada’s Bill C-27 remains the core federal AI legislative vehicle, with AIDA’s high-impact system, harm-mitigation, and public-reporting provisions still the key obligations to plan for if the bill progresses.
OPC guidance on AI and privacy by design in Canada
Canada’s Privacy Commissioner is repeatedly signaling that AI projects should embed privacy by design, perform PIAs early, and address discrimination, accountability, and child-safety risks as AI use expands in government and business.
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