GUARD Act: A bill that bans kids from using AI chatbots is gaining momentum
Related: S.3062 - 119th Congress (2025-2026): GUARD Act (U.S. Congress)
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Source: Marketplace - Minnesota Public Radio
May 4, 2026
A bill that bans kids from using AI chatbots is gaining momentum
The GUARD Act just passed the Senate Judiciary Committee, and would prohibit companies from letting kids under 18 interact with what the legislation calls "AI companions.”
The GUARD Act is a bipartisan bill that would prohibit companies from letting kids under 18 interact with what the legislation calls "AI companions,” which are chatbots designed to encourage the simulation of an interpersonal relationship.
This comes after some harrowing stories of teenagers who developed relationships with chatbots and then harmed themselves or others. The bill just passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Marketplace’s Stephanie Hughes talks about this with Ashley Gold, a senior tech policy reporter at Axios.
https://www.marketplace.org/episode/2026/05/04/a-bill-that-bans-kids-from-using-ai-chatbots-is-gaining-momentum