United States of America: Attorney General of Texas opened investigation into Character.AI, Reddit, Instagram, Discord, and Other Companies over Children’s Privacy and Safety Practices

On 12 December 2024, the Attorney General of Texas opened an investigation into Character.AI, Reddit, Instagram, Discord, and other companies regarding their privacy and safety practices for minors, pursuant to the Securing Children Online through Parental Empowerment (SCOPE) Act and the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (TDPSA); the SCOPE Act prohibits digital service providers from sharing, disclosing, or selling a minor’s personal identifying information without parental or guardian consent and requires companies to provide parental tools to manage and control privacy settings, while the TDPSA imposes strict notice and consent requirements on companies collecting and using minors’ personal data, extending protections to minors’ interactions with artificial intelligence products.