California · SB 243 · State law

California companion chatbot safeguards

EnactedRecorded action: October 13, 2025

The California State Capitol in Sacramento before sunset. — The California State Capitol in Sacramento, pictured in 2018, provides legislative context for the state’s companion-chatbot safeguards. Image: Santosh7700 / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 4096 × 2731 · Downsampled where needed to 4K or larger and WebP optimized; smaller card preview. No upscaling.

What happened

Approved by the governor and chaptered as Chapter 677, Statutes of 2025.

What the law does

California enacted requirements for companion chatbot platforms, including disclosure when a user could mistake a chatbot for a person, safeguards related to self-harm, and additional protections for minors.

The statute addresses companion chatbot platforms. It does not cover every social robot or voice assistant; its definitions and exceptions are in the official text.

Verified October 27, 2026. This is a RobotMe summary of the official record; it is not legal advice.