The news: Meta will restrict teen users’ access to its AI character chatbots amid mounting concerns over how teens interact with AI companions. The move comes after Meta introduced parental controls in October to limit how children interact with AI personas.

The new temporary ban will last “across [Meta’s] apps until the updated experience is ready,” per a company statement, as Meta works on building “a new version of AI characters.”

The problem: AI companion use is widespread among teens. Seventy-two percent of US teens have at least tried AI companions, while more than half (52%) are regular users, per Common Sense Media.

But there are major issues mounting with teens’ AI companion use.

• Over one-third of teens use these companions for social or relational purposes ranging from mental health support to romantic interactions.
• AI companions are beset by ethical concerns, amplified by a now-settled case where a young user died by suicide after engaging with companion app Character AI.
• Companions are facing heightened regulatory scrutiny regarding how minors interact with these platforms. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently launched an investigation into platforms like Character AI and ChatGPT to determine potential risks to minors.

Implications for marketers: AI companions are slowly transforming into possible ad platforms, with major chatbots like ChatGPT exploring ad monetization, Microsoft Copilot seeing notable success with ads, and dedicated companions like Character AI experimenting with ad exposure. Meta is already using chats with its AI assistant as an ad personalization signal. But marketers face the issue of safety in these environments, especially given user bases that skew young.

But Meta’s new safeguards indicate that AI companion providers are taking note of and working to address safety issues—which could provide future opportunities for marketers interested in the space. The move means that marketers could face a companion landscape that is a far less risky ad investment—avoiding the ethical concerns surrounding minors’ companion usage while unlocking opportunities to advertise in environments that build strong trust, personalization, and familiarity.