United States of America: Governor of California signed Bill amending the California Business and Professions Code to include obligations for operators of companion chatbot platforms (SB 243)

On 13 October 2025, the Governor of California signed into law the Bill amending the California Business and Professions Code to include obligations for operators of companion chatbot platforms (SB 243). The law defines “companion chatbot” as an artificial intelligence system with a natural language interface capable of providing adaptive, human-like responses to user inputs and sustaining relationships across multiple interactions. It excludes chatbots used solely for customer service, operational, research, productivity, or video-game purposes. The statute requires operators of companion chatbot platforms to issue clear and conspicuous notifications that interactions are with artificial intelligence, to implement and publish protocols preventing the production of suicidal ideation, suicide, or self-harm content, and to take additional safeguards for minors, including break reminders and prohibitions on sexually explicit material. It mandates operators to report annually to the Office of Suicide Prevention, disclose audit results publicly, and establishes a private right of action for noncompliance, entering into force on 1 January 2026 with a grace period until 1 July 2027 for full implementation of reporting obligations.