EU KIDS Act: AI Companions Must Be Off by Default, Emotional Dependence in Children Prohibited
The European Commission has proposed the KIDS Act, which would bring AI companions and chatbots alongside social media, video-sharing platforms, and online games under stricter protections for minors. The proposal would require AI companion features to be off by default for minors, ban designs that foster emotional dependence, and shift the burden of proof onto platforms to show their products are safe.