Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has announced a new investigation targeting 15 social media and artificial intelligence (AI) companies, including Character.AI, Reddit, Instagram, and Discord. The initiative is part of Texas's efforts to enforce stringent data privacy laws and safeguard children online.
“Technology companies are on notice that my office is vigorously enforcing Texas’s strong data privacy laws,” Paxton stated. “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.”
The investigation highlights the Securing Children Online through Parental Empowerment (SCOPE) Act, passed during Texas’s 88th Legislative Session. The law mandates that digital service providers (DSPs) cannot enter agreements with minors without parental consent and must allow parents to enforce permanent safety settings.
Character.AI, one of the companies under scrutiny, has recently faced legal and media challenges. A Texas lawsuit alleges that the company knowingly exposed minors to unsafe content, citing a case where an 11-year-old was subjected to sexualized material.