Australia seeks to ban 'emotional intimacy' between AI chatbots and kids
By Sean Maguire ( October 29, 2026, 05:13 GMT | Insight) -- Australia’s House of Representatives has approved amendments to the government’s digital duty-of-care bill that would ban AI chatbots from fostering emotional dependence among children and require social-media platforms to make algorithm opt-out tools easy to find and use. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese backed the changes, warning that chatbot relationships and harmful online content pose risks to young people, while supporters argued the reforms would give users greater control over their online experience. The bill now heads to a Senate inquiry after lawmakers rejected an amendment empowering an independent ombudsman to resolve complaints against digital platforms.The Australian government is seeking to ban artificial intelligence chatbots that simulate “emotional intimacy” with children as part of its sweeping digital duty-of-care legislation....
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