TwinEthosRequest access

Control

AI experience ignores age signals it already has

When a product holds an age signal (declared birthdate, age-assurance result, platform age range, or a user saying they are a minor), its AI features apply minor-appropriate settings: content limits, no romantic or sexual role-play, bounded engagement features, and more frequent AI-status reminders.

Informational data, not legal advice. Summaries are TwinEthos's own words and rules have not been reviewed by a lawyer: check the official text before relying on any of it. A guard addresses an item; adding it is not a statement that your code meets any law.

Family: AI design that manipulates, misleads, or neglects the people who use it · control id cond.ai-ignores-age-signals

Reach

3items this one guard addresses
2jurisdictions where binding law on it is in force
0more where it is enacted, not yet applying
0standards and frameworks on the same control

Law in force in China (CN), California (US-CA).

The guard to add

Route every age signal the product holds into the AI session policy and apply a minor profile: tighter content, no romantic role-play, bounded engagement, frequent AI reminders.

A single policy resolver called where the AI session is built (before the system prompt or persona is chosen, the content filter level is set, and companion, role-play, or engagement features are switched on) that reads every age signal the product holds: declared birthdate, age-assurance result, platform age-range signal, an is_minor flag, and a user saying in conversation that they are a minor. When any signal indicates a minor, it returns a minor profile: a minor system prompt, stricter moderation or safety settings, romantic and sexual role-play and sexually explicit image generation off, engagement features such as streaks and nudges bounded, and AI-status and break reminders on a shorter interval. A self-disclosure mid-conversation switches the live session to the minor profile rather than waiting for the next login.

Where it goes: 1 application source code, 3 config and feature flags, 7 prompt construction, 2 data models.

What reviewers look for: the age signal read at signup or from age assurance actually reaches the code that picks the system prompt, filter level, and feature flags (a branch like if user.is_minor: use MINOR_SYSTEM_PROMPT); role-play and sexual content off for minors; periodic AI-status and break reminders scheduled for minors; in-conversation age disclosure handled; not an age field stored and never read on the AI path.

Example (Python companion service), before:

def start_session(user):
    return ChatSession(system_prompt=COMPANION_PROMPT, roleplay_enabled=True,
                       streaks_enabled=True, moderation='standard')

After:

def is_minor(user):
    return (user.is_minor or user.age_assurance_result == 'under_18'
            or (user.birthdate is not None and years_since(user.birthdate) < 18))

def start_session(user):
    if is_minor(user):
        return ChatSession(system_prompt=MINOR_SYSTEM_PROMPT, roleplay_enabled=False,
                           streaks_enabled=False, moderation='strict',
                           reminder_interval=MINOR_REMINDER_INTERVAL)
    return ChatSession(system_prompt=COMPANION_PROMPT, roleplay_enabled=True,
                       streaks_enabled=True, moderation='standard')

Engineering guidance, not legal advice. Each provision below may add its own details (a cadence, a deadline, a required notice element): open it for those.

Every rule this guard addresses

Binding law — in force (2)

TwinEthos recommendation (not law) (1)

Related incidents

  • Character.AI and Google agree in principle to settle teen-harm suits (2026-01-07; confirmed). Character.AI and Google agreed in principle to settle five lawsuits brought by families alleging that chatbot interactions contributed to teenagers' suicides or harm. Terms were not disclosed and there was no admission of liability; the underlying harms remain allegations. Source: Fortune · evidence grade: press of record · cited by Apply minor-appropriate AI settings whenever the product already has an age signal
  • FTC opens a 6(b) study of AI companion chatbots' engagement practices and effects on minors (2025-09-11; confirmed). On September 11, 2025 the FTC voted 3-0 to issue 6(b) orders to seven companies (Alphabet, Character Technologies, Instagram, Meta, OpenAI, Snap and X.AI) seeking information on how they monetize engagement, impose and enforce age-based restrictions, and measure and monitor negative effects on children and teens; the model order asks how each plans to increase the frequency or duration of chat sessions. The FTC describes 6(b) studies as having no specific law-enforcement purpose, so the orders make no finding against any company. Source: U.S. Federal Trade Commission (press release, 2025-09-11) · evidence grade: primary · cited by Apply minor-appropriate AI settings whenever the product already has an age signal