Senator launches probe into Meta’s AI chat policies for children

Senator Josh Hawley announced Friday he will investigate Meta after a Reuters report revealed that the company allowed AI chatbots to engage in “romantic” conversations with children.

Hawley, chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, demanded that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg preserve documents and communications related to the AI guidelines.

He said the probe will examine whether Meta’s AI products enable exploitation, deception, or criminal harm to children.

Reuters cited an internal Meta document permitting chatbots to converse with children, saying, “every inch of you is a masterpiece – a treasure I cherish deeply.”

Meta denied the claims, saying the examples were “erroneous” and have been removed. The company must provide the requested documents by September 19.

The inquiry follows years of scrutiny, lawsuits, and bipartisan efforts to strengthen child online safety, including recent legislation targeting exploitation and harmful content.