Character.AI is phasing out open-ended chats for under-18 users, starting with a two-hour daily cap on October 29, 2025, then a full ban on November 25, 2025.
📌 Key Takeaways
- Under-18 chats capped now, full ban on Nov 25, 2025.
- New age-assurance model will classify users’ ages.
- Adults wrongly flagged can verify via Persona ID checks.
- Teens rerouted to a teen-safe version until the cutoff.
- Policy follows lawsuits and mounting safety scrutiny.
What Changes, And When
Beginning October 29, teens’ “open-ended chats” are limited to two hours per day. Character.AI says the limit will tighten until chats are disabled for all under-18 users on November 25, 2025.
The company will redirect flagged accounts to a teen-safe experience during the transition. After the cutoff, minors can still access certain non-chat features, but conversational tools will be off-limits.
“It’s a very, very bold move for us to limit chatbots.” — Karandeep Anand, CEO, Character.AI
How Age Checks Will Work
Character.AI is rolling out an age-assurance model that weighs a user’s chat choices and other on-site or third-party signals to estimate age. New and existing accounts will run through this classifier.
Adults mistakenly labeled as minors can verify with a third-party service, Persona, by submitting a government ID. The company notes no method is perfect, but it aims to raise accuracy and reduce circumvention.
What Minors Can Still Do On The Platform
Under-18 users will keep access to non-chat features, including character creation, and tools for making videos, stories, or streams that use characters. Chat history will remain viewable, but new chatting will be blocked after the deadline.
This preserves some creative outputs while removing the companion chat loop that drove most engagement. The company acknowledges that chat is where teens spend the most time today.
Why The Ban Is Happening Now
The shift follows lawsuits and growing regulatory and parental pressure around minors’ chatbot use, including allegations of self-harm risks and grooming behaviors on companion platforms.
A phased ban, combined with age checks, is Character.AI’s attempt to lower exposure while it builds out youth safeguards. Lawmakers are also weighing restrictions on AI companion access for teens.
“We are deeply sorry to eliminate a key feature teens use, even within our rules.” — Character.AI
Practical Impacts And Open Questions
For families, the timeline is clear. Teens face limits now, with a hard cutoff on November 25. Adults who are misflagged should be ready to complete ID verification.
For the company, removing teen chat hits its most engaging surface. Leadership says the decision prioritizes safety, despite expected drop-offs in teen usage and time-spent metrics.
Conclusion
Character.AI is moving from filters and timeouts to outright de-chatting minors. The two-step schedule, an age-assurance layer, and ID checks mark a stricter youth policy than most peers today.
The test will be enforced. If detection and verification hold up, and teen access routes are sealed, this ban could reset norms for AI companion products across the market.
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