Ken Paxton, the attorney general in Texas, is investigating Instagram and Reddit companies over youth data security concerns. Apart from Instagram and Reddit, the Texas AG has launched an investigation into Character.AI and 14 more technology companies for the same.
Texas AG to investigate whether Instagram, Reddit, and others follow youth data security laws
The investigation assesses whether these platforms conform to Texas’ child privacy and safety laws. Tech companies in Texas must follow two main child privacy and safety protection laws – the Securing Children Online Through Parental Empowerment (SCOPE) Act and the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (DPSA). These laws ensure that the data of youth users is safe on social networking platforms from unauthorized access.
“Technology companies are on notice that my office is vigorously enforcing Texas’s strong data privacy laws. These investigations are a critical step toward ensuring that social media and AI companies comply with our laws designed to protect children from exploitation and harm”, said Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Character.Ai was already the subject of several child safety lawsuits
Notably, Character.Ai has also found itself embroiled in many controversies. It allows you to create generative AI chatbot characters. These chatbots allow you to have text and conversations with them. Character.Ai was the subject of several child safety lawsuits. Notably, in one Florida case, a 14-year-old boy became romantically involved with a Character AI chatbot. The minor said that he was having suicidal thoughts in the days leading up to his suicide.
The company recently introduced a few new safety tools to enhance its child protection department. One of these includes a separate model for teens. It blocks input and outputs on sensitive topics. Additionally, there’s another notification alerting feature, which reminds teen users of continuous usage.
Texas AG recently also filed a lawsuit against TikTok
Notably, the new investigations follow AG Paxton’s recent lawsuit against TikTok. The AG sued the social media platform for violating Texas’ safety and privacy requirements for minors. Furthermore, the lawsuit claimed that TikTok’s “Family Pairing” tool isn’t “commercially reasonable. Teens can deny their parents the right to monitor and control them on TikTok.
