Meta Platforms said on Friday that it will temporarily block teenagers from accessing its existing AI characters across all of its apps worldwide, as the company works on a revamped version of the feature designed specifically for younger users.
The move comes as Meta looks to refine how its AI products interact with teens, amid broader scrutiny over safety, age-appropriate design, and the role of generative AI on social media platforms.
“Starting in the coming weeks, teens will no longer be able to access AI characters across our apps until the updated experience is ready,” Meta said.
When the revamped AI characters for teens are rolled out, they will include parental controls, giving families more oversight of how younger users interact with the technology.
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Meta first previewed these controls in October, saying parents would be able to turn off private chats between their teens and AI characters, a response to mounting criticism over reports of flirtatious chatbot behavior on its platforms.
The company said on Friday that those parental controls are still not live. Meta has also said its AI experiences for teens will follow the PG-13 movie rating framework, an effort to limit exposure to content deemed inappropriate for minors.
The changes come as U.S. regulators intensify scrutiny of AI companies and the potential harms posed by chatbots. In August, Reuters reported that Meta’s internal AI rules had allowed provocative conversations involving minors, adding to pressure on the company to tighten safeguards.