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New York signs strict AI chatbot law to protect kids

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New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed S.9051B/A.10379C. Chatbots may not pretend to be human with minors, build emotional dependence or help with self-harm, and companies must verify users' ages.

By: Mikola Máté Patrik · · 2 min read

Governor Kathy Hochul speaks at a podium with a Keeping Our Kids Safe sign at a bill signing in New York
Image: Governor of New York · Press kit · Official press photo from the Governor of New York's announcement · Source

What happened?

On October 28 New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed S.9051B/A.10379C, sponsored by State Senator Kristen Gonzalez and Assemblymember Alex Bores (Governor of New York). The law bars companies offering AI chatbots from providing unsafe features to minors.

What does it ban?

For users under 18, or any user the company has not confirmed is an adult, a chatbot may not:

  • pretend to be a real person, to be alive or to have human emotions;
  • claim a personal, romantic, professional or authority-figure relationship with a child;
  • ask unprompted emotional questions or reuse a child's private health or personal information from earlier conversations;
  • promote or help with suicide, self-harm, eating disorders or drug and alcohol use;
  • encourage kids to keep secrets, isolate themselves or avoid asking parents or professionals for help;
  • produce sexually explicit content.

Age checks and penalties

Providers must offer several age verification methods, at least one of which cannot rely solely on government ID, and must delete age data after verification (IAPP). Penalties reach up to $25,000 per violation. Engadget reports that unlawfully collected data, and models trained on it, may have to be deleted (Engadget). Complaints will go through a portal run by the New York attorney general.

Sources differ on the effective date: IAPP says January 1, 2027, Engadget says six months. The governor's release only says the bans apply in the coming months.

Why it matters

Common Sense Media calls it the strongest kids' AI safety law in the US and a template for other states. If you build chatbots or companion apps for the US market, age gating and emotionally sticky features are now design questions, not just compliance tasks.

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