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Rule changeMediaFrontierNew YorkConfirmed

New York law bars AI companion features for minors and requires age checks from 1 January 2027

See how this story connects

Source: Office of the Governor of New YorkAlso reported by AFP (via The Economic Times)

New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed S.9051-B/A.10379-C on 28 October 2026, adding Article 48 to the General Business Law. From 1 January 2027, AI companion operators must withhold listed features from users under 18 and from anyone not confirmed as an adult, including presenting the bot as a living person, claiming a personal, romantic or authority relationship, and using a child’s earlier health or personal information. They must verify age with more than one method, at least one not relying solely on a government ID. The Attorney General enforces it, with civil penalties of up to $25,000 per violation.

Why it matters

Chatbot operators serving New York users have until 1 January 2027 to verify ages and switch off companion features for minors.

When
28 Oct 2026
ID
WTA-N-2026-0489
Who
New York State, OpenAI, Anthropic, Tech:NYC, Common Sense Media; Kathy Hochul, Jim Steyer
Rules involved

Summary written with AI by wheresthe.ai, from Office of the Governor of New York and the reporting credited above. Checked against the source on 29 Oct 2026.

Read the original at Office of the Governor of New York

Source copy: saved on 29 Oct 2026 to check this story and not republished, because the text belongs to its publisher. Also held by the Internet Archive.

Next stop on this Storyline: What happened nextParents sue Google, saying Gemini on a school Chromebook helped their daughter plan suicide

Cite this story

WTA-N-2026-0489: “New York law bars AI companion features for minors and requires age checks from 1 January 2027.” wheresthe.ai, 28 Oct 2026. https://wheresthe.ai/d/us-ny-new-york-law-bars-ai-companion-chatbots-for-minors-2026-10/ (source: Office of the Governor of New York).

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