Australia: eSafety Commissioner published interim findings concerning Character Technologies (character.ai) compliance with Basic Online Safety Expectations

On 23 March 2026, Australia’s eSafety Commissioner published interim findings concerning Character Technologies (character.ai) compliance with Basic Online Safety Expectations (BOSE). In response to a notice requesting information regarding BOSE compliance issued 16 October 2025, Character Technologies reported that it had made or intended to make improvements to child safety. Such improvements include age assurance mechanisms, restricting access to open-ended chat with AI companions, and implementing a sentiment analysis mechanism. The full report is expected to be released in May 2026.