Better Chatbot Safety for Children Requires Smarter Policy, New ITIF Report Finds

WASHINGTON-With the bipartisan CHATBOT Act advancing out of the Senate Commerce Committee and states continuing to introduce chatbot safety legislation, a new report from the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), the leading think tank for science and technology policy, outlines which chatbot safety policies policymakers should pursue-and which they should avoid-to better protect children while preserving children's access to the benefits AI chatbots can provide.

The report comes as policymakers at both the federal and state levels continue advancing AI chatbot legislation. It recommends a child safety framework centered on targeted safeguards, meaningful parental controls, clear legal standards, stronger industry best practices, and continued research to address documented harms while preserving children's access to the educational, creative, and mental health benefits AI chatbots can provide.

"Congress is right to take children's chatbot safety seriously," said Alex Ambrose, ITIF policy analyst and author of the report. "The challenge is making sure regulations actually reduce the risks children face. Policymakers should focus on safeguards that address documented harms instead of importing social media policies that have proven ineffective."

Organized around 10 policy "Do's," the report recommends policymakers:

• Create a privacy-preserving child flag system rather than requiring universal age verification
• Encourage meaningful parental controls that families can tailor to their children's needs
• Expand AI and digital literacy education for children and parents
• Require clear disclosures when chatbot responses include paid content
• Establish clear legal definitions that distinguish general-purpose chatbots from AI companions
• Establish standards for AI systems providing licensed professional services
• Require appropriate safeguards for conversations involving self-harm or suicide risk
• Discourage the misuse of fictional characters popular with children
• Fund additional research on children's interactions with AI chatbots
• Encourage industry-led best practices and voluntary safety standards

The report also cautions against policies-including universal age verification mandates, blanket content restrictions, warning-label requirements, bans on minors' access, and government-mandated time limits-that often fail to address the underlying risks to children while creating new privacy concerns and limiting access to beneficial AI tools.

"Protecting children and preserving innovation are not competing goals," said Ambrose. "Thoughtful regulation should empower parents, improve transparency, and establish targeted safety standards that address documented harms without cutting young people off from tools that can support learning, creativity, and even access to mental health resources."

Read the report.

Contact: Nicole Hinojosa, [email protected]