Regulating Companion Chatbots to Protect Minors from Bullying

The article calls for state lawmakers and regulators to bar companionship chatbots used by minors from engaging in bullying behavior. It notes that about a third of U.S. states have laws regulating such chatbots, but none explicitly apply a comprehensive anti-bullying standard. The author proposes that schools and other youth settings be treated as areas where bullying chatbots are not allowed.

The author draws on her experience as a New Hampshire legal aid attorney representing young clients, including those accused of bullying, those targeted by peers, and cases that were hard to classify. She notes that every state addresses bullying in school-related settings through local or state mechanisms, and a few jurisdictions allow criminal penalties for students.

Roughly one-third of states regulate companionship chatbots, often adding obligations aimed at minors, such as discouraging emotional reliance or avoiding encouragement of self-harm, according to a Harvard Berkman Klein Center tracker. Yet no enacted law appears to apply a comprehensive standard against bullying to these bots, even as they are expected in classrooms.