As part of its formal inquiry into AI chatbots used as companions, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sent detailed information requests to seven AI chatbot companies, specifically asking about risks their products create for children and teenagers. The requests are part of the same inquiry launched in September 2025 but represent a focused child-safety angle: the FTC is examining not just how companion platforms operate generally, but specifically how they handle the presence and potential harm to the youngest users. For ai girlfriend South Africa users and parents, these FTC requests clarify what the regulator considers the most important accountability questions in the companion app category.
- The FTC sent child-safety focused information requests to seven AI chatbot companies.
- The requests ask about safety testing, parental warnings, monetisation, and age verification for minors.
- The FTC has not publicly named all seven companies — Character.AI is the most publicly linked to this regulatory focus.
- The requests are information-gathering, not charges or enforcement actions.
- The FTC’s child-safety questions define the accountability framework the industry is being measured against.
What the FTC Asked
The FTC’s information requests to the seven companies covered four specific areas: how they test for risks to child and teen users before and after product launch; how they warn parents about the potential risks their children face when using companion chatbots; how their monetisation models create incentives that may conflict with child safety; and what age verification and access control measures they apply to prevent or limit minor access to adult companion features. These questions are also the criteria against which any companion platform should be evaluated — not just by regulators, but by users and parents choosing between platforms. Source: FTC press release. Read our full FTC inquiry guide at AdultuTopia.
What This Means for the Companion App Market
The FTC’s child-safety requests signal that regulators are evaluating companion platforms against a specific standard: have you tested for child harm? Have you warned parents? Does your business model create conflict-of-interest around child safety? Do you verify age technically? Platforms that can answer all four questions well are in a strong compliance position. Platforms that cannot are at risk. The established platforms most aligned with these standards — Character.AI, Replika, Nomi AI, Kindroid, Paradot, Anima — have invested in safety features and documentation. Platforms with less developed safety infrastructure — including some smaller platforms in the CrushOn.AI, Candy AI, Dopple.ai, SpicyChat AI, Janitor AI tier — face more significant compliance gaps. For ai girlfriend South Africa users, choosing platforms with documented child safety policies is a reasonable proxy for overall platform responsibility. Read our platform evaluation guide at AdultuTopia.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which companies received FTC information requests about child safety?
- The FTC sent requests to seven companies but has not publicly named all of them. Character.AI is the most publicly associated with the child-safety regulatory focus in this category.
- What is the FTC asking companies to document about child safety?
- Four areas: safety testing for child and teen harm, parental warnings about risks, monetisation conflict-of-interest analysis, and age verification measures for adult features.
- Will the FTC take enforcement action against companion app companies?
- The inquiry is information-gathering. Enforcement could follow if the FTC finds violations of existing consumer protection or privacy law. The inquiry does not automatically lead to charges.
- What should parents know about AI companion apps and their children?
- All romantic AI companion features are restricted to users 18 and over. Teens may be accessing these platforms through checkbox-only age verification. Parental conversation and monitoring of app usage are appropriate responses.
- Is the FTC’s child-safety framework useful for adults choosing a companion platform?
- Yes — a platform that can demonstrate good child safety testing, transparent policies, non-conflicted monetisation, and robust age verification is also likely to treat adult users responsibly.
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