United States of America: Law on Companion Chatbots (SB 243) enters into force with grace period

On 1 January 2026, the Law on Companion Chatbots (SB 243) enters into force, adding Chapter 22.6 (commencing with Section 22601) to Division 8 of the Business and Professions Code. 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 law 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.