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Why chatbots are starting to check your age

Technology
United States
Started January 27, 2026

This story originally appeared in The Algorithm, our weekly newsletter on AI. To get stories like this in your inbox first, sign up here. How do tech companies check if their users are kids? This question has taken on new urgency recently thanks to growing concern about the dangers that can arise when children talk to…

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CLAIM Posted by will • Jan 27, 2026
While age checks may help safeguard children, they could also unintentionally exclude them from valuable online resources.
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CLAIM Posted by will • Jan 27, 2026
Age verification could infringe on user privacy and lead to data misuse, posing risks greater than the benefits.
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CLAIM Posted by will • Jan 27, 2026
Implementing age checks for chatbots is essential to protect children from harmful content and interactions online.
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CLAIM Posted by will • Jan 27, 2026
Tech companies must prioritize ethical AI use by ensuring that age checks are reliable and do not discriminate against younger users.
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CLAIM Posted by will • Jan 27, 2026
The effectiveness of age verification methods remains questionable; we need better solutions to protect children online.
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