Short answer: The worry the FTC and Google both flag isn't one bad answer. It's a kid treating a chatbot like a friend or confidant. Tonight, find out which AI tools your kid uses, check companion apps like Character.AI, and switch on the controls that exist.
Last verified 2026-09-30 against the official sources listed with this post.
One of the biggest risks, according to the FTC and Google, is a kid treating a chatbot like a friend or confidant, or like a source of truth. Google's own parent guide says Gemini is conversational and can feel like a human, so kids need to understand it's an AI tool, not a person to confide in. Google also cautions that its responses can seem overly encouraging and can present inaccurate information as fact. (In September 2025, the FTC opened a study of seven chatbot companies focused on the effects on kids and teens.)
Your kid may already be using chatbots without opening a "chatbot app." They live inside homework tools, Snapchat, Instagram, and phone assistants. They can be genuinely helpful, but the controls are newer and patchier than for games or social media.
Do this tonight
- Ask which AI tools they use, including ones built into other apps and AI "companion" apps. Ask with curiosity, not suspicion.
- Check companion apps like Character.AI. Make sure the age on the account is right, or block the app: on iPhone, Settings → Family → your child's name → Apps & Websites → select the app → Block App. On Android, block it in Family Link.
- If your teen uses ChatGPT, link your accounts: Settings → Parental controls → Add family member, then invite them by phone or email.
- If your teen uses Snapchat and you're set up in Family Center, decide on My AI: Family Center → Settings → Disable My AI.
- Have the "it's not a person" talk (more below).
The age rules
- ChatGPT: OpenAI's terms say users must be at least 13, and anyone under 18 needs a parent's or guardian's permission. OpenAI says ChatGPT also uses account signals to predict whether an account belongs to a teen and adds extra safeguards when it does.
- Gemini: Children under 13 can use Gemini only if a parent turns it on through Family Link. Gemini isn't available for supervised accounts in the European Economic Area, Switzerland, or the U.K.
- Character.AI: Starting November 24, 2025, Character.AI began removing open-ended chat for users under 18 in the U.S., with other countries following. It now requires all users to complete an age check, and users under 18 get a reading-mode experience without chat with characters.
If your child is under 13
AI still reaches younger kids, mostly through Google accounts, phone assistants, and school.
- Gemini is off unless you turn it on. In Family Link, select your child, then Controls → Gemini → Gemini Apps. If you allow it, you'll get an email when your child first uses it.
- "Hey Google" and Voice Match aren't available with Gemini for users under 13, according to Google. They still work on smart speakers and displays that support Google Assistant.
- On iPhone, you can block Siri features like Writing Assistance and Image Creation (see below).
- At school, ask your child's teacher which AI tools they use in class and what settings are in place.
The controls that exist
ChatGPT
Once your accounts are linked, go to Settings → Parental controls and select your teen. You can:
- Keep "Reduce sensitive content" on. OpenAI says linked teen accounts get added safeguards against graphic content, viral challenges, sexual or romantic roleplay, violent roleplay, and extreme beauty ideals.
- Set quiet hours, times when ChatGPT can't be used.
- Turn off features like voice mode, image generation, and saved memories.
- Opt out of model training for your teen's conversations.
You can't read their chats. OpenAI says it may send you a safety notification in limited cases, such as when trained reviewers identify a serious self-harm concern. Your teen can unlink at any time, but you'll be notified if they do.
Gemini (Google)
You control access in Family Link and can switch it off at any time. Google says it adds extra filters for minors, including ones meant to keep Gemini from claiming to be a person or playing a harmful character, and is candid that these filters are "not perfect."
Meta AI (Instagram, Messenger, and the Meta AI app)
If you supervise your teen through Meta's Family Center, you can see the topics they've asked Meta AI about in the last seven days, like School or Health and Well-being, but not the exact messages. Go to Family Center → your teen's dashboard → Their AI interactions → Topic insights. If you turn this on, tell your teen, so it's a shared understanding and not something they discover later. Meta says Meta AI won't engage teens on topics such as suicide, eating disorders, or romantic or sexual conversations, and will point them to help resources where appropriate.
Snapchat's My AI
Parents enrolled in Family Center can turn it off. Snapchat says that when My AI is disabled, it won't reply to your teen or store and process their queries.
iPhone
With Apple's updated Screen Time controls in iOS 27, you can decide whether your child can use certain Siri features, like Writing Assistance and Image Creation: Settings → Family → your child's name → Content & Privacy Restrictions → Siri.
The talk that matters more than any toggle
A few points worth saying out loud, in your own words:
- "It sounds friendly, but it's software." It doesn't know you or care about you the way people do.
- "It can be confidently wrong." Double-check anything important, especially health, news, or schoolwork.
- "Don't share private stuff." Google advises kids not to share their address, school name, or family details in their chats with Gemini, and that's good advice for any chatbot.
- "If a chat ever gets weird or upsetting, show me." No trouble, no lecture.
If a conversation reveals your child is struggling, reach out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. If anyone is in immediate danger, call 911.
Our free checklist includes the AI settings above alongside your kids' other apps, no login needed. The $12 Full Family Kit covers every kid in the family.
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