TeenCue Rating
Is Character.AI safe for kids?
Character Technologies
71out of 100
Some protections
TeenCue’s rating, based on the published evidence below. As of October 26, 2026. How the rating works
Character.AI removed open-ended chat for under-18 users in late 2025 and uses age estimation to sort users. Parent tools are limited to a weekly activity email, and the company is in Chapter 11 bankruptcy with its future owner undecided.
How the score adds up
Age rules and checks
15 of 15
- +6Character.AI uses an age assurance system that reviews account signals, and users flagged as under 18 can verify with a selfie age estimate through Persona, with ID as a last resort. Age Assurance FAQ Checked October 26, 2026.
- +5Character.AI's Terms of Service bar users under 13, or under 16 in the European Economic Area and the United Kingdom. Terms of Service (last updated August 27, 2025) Checked October 26, 2026.
- +4Character.AI runs a separate under-18 experience built around non-chat features such as Feed, Imagine, AvatarFX and Streams. An Update On Changes to Our Under-18 Experience (Character.AI blog, Nov 21, 2025) Checked October 26, 2026.
Teen protections
20 of 20
- +6Character.AI removed open-ended chat with Characters for all users under 18, which removes one-on-one roleplay chat for minors. No separate written ban on romantic roleplay for minors was found. Taking Bold Steps to Keep Teen Users Safe on Character.AI (Character.AI blog, Oct 29, 2025) Checked October 26, 2026.
- +6Character.AI's teen safety page says its under-18 model uses more conservative classifiers and that teens can access a narrower set of Characters. Teen Safety (Character.AI Safety Center) Checked October 26, 2026.
- +4Character.AI's September 2026 safety update confirms open-ended chat with Characters remains removed for users under 18. Continuing To Build Upon Our Safety Priorities (Character.AI blog, Sep 3, 2026) Checked October 26, 2026.
- +4Character.AI lists time spent notifications among its teen protections, and capped under-18 chat time at two hours per day during the transition. Taking Bold Steps to Keep Teen Users Safe on Character.AI (Character.AI blog, Oct 29, 2025) Checked October 26, 2026.
Parental controls
6 of 20
- +6With Parental Insights, a teen adds a parent's email from Preferences and the parent accepts an invitation, then receives a weekly report of time spent and most-used Characters. Chat content is not shared and parents cannot change settings. Parental Insights (Character.AI Safety Center) Checked October 26, 2026.
- 0No option for parents to turn features off was found. Not found in published materials as of 2026-10-26. Continuing To Build Upon Our Safety Priorities (Character.AI blog, Sep 3, 2026) Checked October 26, 2026.
- 0No parent-set hours, quiet times or time limits were found. Not found in published materials as of 2026-10-26. Introducing Parental Insights: Enhanced Safety for Teens (Character.AI blog) Checked October 26, 2026.
- 0No published feature that alerts parents to self-harm or other serious risk signals was found. Not found in published materials as of 2026-10-26. Continuing To Build Upon Our Safety Priorities (Character.AI blog, Sep 3, 2026) Checked October 26, 2026.
Data and privacy for minors
5 of 20
- +5Users can delete their account themselves from Profile Settings on the web or the settings icon in the app. How do I delete my account? Checked October 26, 2026.
- 0The Privacy Policy lists providing tailored advertising as a use of personal information and does not describe an exception for users under 18. Privacy Policy (effective July 1, 2026) Checked October 26, 2026.
- 0The Privacy Policy says information is kept for the time necessary for the purposes it was collected for, with no fixed retention period for chats. Privacy Policy (effective July 1, 2026) Checked October 26, 2026.
- 0The Privacy Policy says Character.AI uses information collected through the Services to train its AI models. It does not describe an exception for users under 18. Privacy Policy (effective July 1, 2026) Checked October 26, 2026.
Safety response
15 of 15
- +6Character.AI says that when it detects self-harm signals it points users to real-world support, including country-specific services through ThroughLine and emotional support tools through Koko. Continuing To Build Upon Our Safety Priorities (Character.AI blog, Sep 3, 2026) Checked October 26, 2026.
- +5Character.AI publishes a teen safety page in its Safety Center describing a separate experience for teens. Teen Safety (Character.AI Safety Center) Checked October 26, 2026.
- +4Users can report a Character in the product using the flag option on the chat page, and can report other users from their profile. Reporting (Character.AI Safety Center) Checked October 26, 2026.
Track record
10 of 10
- 0No regulator order, settlement or court judgment found as of 2026-10-26. A coalition of state attorneys general filed a notice in the October 2026 bankruptcy seeking child and consumer protections in any sale; that notice is not a finding. Attorney General Bonta Seeks Consumer Protections in Character.AI Bankruptcy (California AG, Oct 15, 2026) Checked October 26, 2026.
Total: 71 out of 100
Settings to change
- Have your teen turn on Parental Insights in Character.AI under Preferences > Parental Insights, add your email address, then accept the email invitation so you get the weekly activity report.
- To delete an account on the web, go to Profile > Profile Settings > Account > Manage Account & Data > Delete Account (on mobile: Profile > settings icon > Remove Account).
- To report a Character, open its chat page, click the three dots at the top right and select the flag, then choose a reason.