China’s top internet regulator has unveiled draft rules to prevent minors under 18 from accessing AI-powered virtual companions that simulate intimate relationships, reflecting growing concerns about technology impacting young users’ mental health.
- Ban on AI virtual companions offering intimate services to users under 18
- Mandatory minors' mode on gaming, social media, and AI platforms
- Fines up to 10 times income for non-compliance and strict algorithm controls
What happened
China’s Cyberspace Administration has put forward new regulations titled 'Ensuring minors’ safe and healthy use of the internet' that would prohibit online platforms from providing 'virtual relatives or companions' to minors. This includes banning services that promote addiction or could seriously harm minors’ physical or mental health by inducing emotional dependence.
The draft rules also restrict online social networking among strangers for those under 16 unless they are self-supporting and require platforms to activate a special minors’ mode. Additionally, operators must improve user age identification and prevent algorithms that encourage excessive spending or emotional dependency among minors.
Why it matters
These proposals address increasing concerns about the mental health risks for teenagers who interact with AI programs acting as intimate companions, which could replace real social bonds. Minors aged six to 19 comprised 18% of China’s internet users by the end of 2025, underscoring the potential scale of impact.
From a compliance perspective, AI companies will face heightened challenges in accurately identifying underage users and restricting their access to certain features, potentially increasing costs related to product design and regulatory adherence. The new rules build on China’s broader regulatory momentum toward controlling AI’s social influence.
What to watch next
The draft regulations are open for public comment until October 17, after which the Cyberspace Administration may finalize and enforce the new rules. Stakeholders, including major domestic AI operators like ByteDance and Alibaba, will likely adjust their products to comply, as seen with previous restrictions on customizable AI agents.
Observers should monitor how enforcement proceeds and whether these rules shape international standards on protecting minors from AI-driven emotional manipulation. The broader impact on innovation in AI-powered social platforms and gaming will also be an important development for the technology sector in China.