Other
GUARD Act
Starting 180 days after passage, this bill bans minors under 18 from using 'AI companion' chatbots designed to simulate human relationships or characters. To access these platforms, adults must create accounts and verify their age using reliable methods, such as a government ID or credit card records, rather than just typing in a birthdate. Additionally, all public chatbots must clearly state they are artificial intelligence at the start of every chat, are banned from pretending to be human, and cannot pose as licensed professionals like doctors, lawyers, or therapists.
People affected—Not determinable from text provided; the bill covers all users of publicly available AI chatbots in the United States, which is a large and growing population, but no specific headcount is stated in the operative text.
Fiscal magnitude—no CBO estimate published
Reach52provisional · pending reviewrigor: heuristic llm
What this bill touches.
Market protections+40Personal data & privacyRegulation (cross-sector)+35Federal vs. state/local−18Big-tech & platforms+52AI & emerging tech+62
Who it helps · who it burdens.
Who it helps
- minors (users under 18)Children are blocked from accessing AI companions and are protected by disclosure rules preventing chatbots from posing as humans or professionals, reducing manipulation and exploitation risks (Provisions 6–8).
- all chatbot usersAll users gain the right to know they are talking to an AI, not a human or licensed professional, through mandatory disclosures at conversation start and regular intervals (Provisions 6–7).
Who it burdens
- AI chatbot operators (covered entities)Operators must build and maintain age verification systems, freeze and re-verify existing accounts, implement data security and deletion protocols, display required disclosures, and face civil penalties up to $250,000 per violation for noncompliance (Provisions 1–4, 6–9).
- chatbot users who must verify their ageAll users — adults included — must create accounts and submit identity documents or equivalent verification before accessing AI chatbots, imposing friction and requiring disclosure of personal data (Provisions 1–2).
Who opposes it
- adversarial-nation-affiliated third-party age verification vendorsFirms closely affiliated with, incorporated in, or headquartered in covered nations (e.g., China, Russia) are explicitly barred from being hired as age verification contractors (Provision 5).