Cyber experts are calling for Australia’s planned ban on social media for people under 16 to be expanded to include AI chatbots. The push, reported by multiple outlets, is driven by concerns that unregulated or insufficiently monitored chatbots could increase risks for children and young people online, particularly if they can generate content or facilitate harmful interactions without effective safeguards.
The experts cite associations between AI chatbot use and a series of mass tragedies in the United States, arguing that recent incidents highlight weaknesses in how such systems are governed and monitored. They are therefore urging policymakers to treat AI chatbot services similarly to other social platforms covered by the under-16 restriction.
The reporting indicates the proposal is aimed at ensuring clearer rules, controls, and accountability for providers of chatbot technology, rather than relying only on voluntary measures. Advocates for the change want the policy to be broad enough to capture chatbot functionality that may be accessed through platforms popular with minors.
