IrelandArtificial Intelligence Companion Services (Protection of Children) Bill 2026
Artificial Intelligence Companion Services (Protection of Children) Bill 2026 (Bill 93 of 2026)
Introduced in the first chamber, dated , as of .
An age-appropriate design code rule binding private bodies.
As of .
Where it has got to
The text described here is Bill 93 of 2026, as initiated. That print is b9326d, published .
Locally, this stage is Dáil Second Stage (general principles of the bill debated).
The stage above is recorded at www.oireachtas.ie.
Private members' bill originating in Dáil Éireann. The bill page lists First Stage and Second Stage as and no later stage.
What it requires
- A provider that makes an AI chatbot available within the State must not make an AI companion service or an intimate AI service available to a child, meaning a person under the age of 16.
- Do not advertise, promote, recommend or otherwise direct an AI companion service or an intimate AI service towards a child, and do not use profiling, recommender systems or behavioural advertising techniques to promote a prohibited service to a child.
- Take appropriate and proportionate measures to determine whether a user is a child; requiring a user to self-declare age is not enough on its own.
- Ensure that a child is prevented from accessing a prohibited service, and carry out age-assurance measures consistently with the Data Protection Act 2018 and Regulation (EU) 2016/679.
- Ensure that an AI chatbot clearly identifies itself as an artificial intelligence system, in a manner that is clear, prominent and comprehensible to users.
- Do not design, develop or operate an AI companion service so that it falsely represents that the system is a natural person, possesses consciousness, possesses legal personality or experiences human emotions.
- Comply with an information notice within the period it specifies, and with a direction that Coimisiún na Meán issues to cease making a service available to children, implement specified age-assurance measures or remove a specified chatbot persona.
If you get it wrong
Criminal exposureYes
Criminal exposure note
Section 14 makes it an offence for a provider knowingly to make a prohibited service available to a child, knowingly to provide false or misleading information to Coimisiún na Meán, or to fail without reasonable excuse to comply with a compliance notice. Section 15 sets, on summary conviction, a class A fine or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months, or both, and on conviction on indictment a fine or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years, or both.
Who enforces it
Enforcement body
Coimisiún na Meán, which is responsible for monitoring and enforcing compliance with the bill.
What it reaches
Age threshold
16
Covered services
AI companion services, meaning AI chatbot services designed, developed or marketed primarily to simulate companionship, friendship, emotional support, interpersonal relationships or ongoing social engagement, and intimate AI services that simulate a romantic, spousal or family relationship, made available within the State. The Minister may designate further categories of AI chatbot service as AI companion services.
Obligation class
Prohibition, Age verification, Content labelling
What this law does
The Dáil private members' bill would prohibit a provider from making an AI companion service available to a child. The bill defines a child as a person under the age of 16 years. A provider would also be prohibited from making an intimate AI service available to a child. A provider would be prohibited from advertising, promoting, recommending or otherwise directing an AI companion service or an intimate AI service towards a child.
A provider would have to take appropriate and proportionate measures to determine whether a user is a child. Compliance with that duty would not be satisfied solely by requiring a user to self-declare his or her age. A provider would have to ensure that a child is prevented from accessing a service prohibited under the bill. A provider would have to ensure that an AI chatbot clearly identifies itself as an artificial intelligence system.
A provider would be prohibited from designing, developing or operating an AI companion service so that it falsely represents that the system is a natural person, possesses consciousness, possesses legal personality or experiences human emotions. Coimisiún na Meán would be responsible for monitoring and enforcing compliance with the bill. Part 8B of the Broadcasting Act 2009 would apply to a contravention of the bill as if it were a contravention of that Act.
A provider would commit an offence by knowingly making a prohibited service available to a child, knowingly providing false or misleading information to Coimisiún na Meán, or failing without reasonable excuse to comply with a compliance notice. On summary conviction the penalty would be a class A fine or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months, or both. On conviction on indictment the penalty would be a fine or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years, or both.
The bill would come into operation on such day or days as the Minister appoints by order. Deputy Malcolm Byrne introduced the bill in Dáil Éireann on . The Oireachtas page for the bill records it as currently before Dáil Éireann at Second Stage, dated .
When LexLint raises it
When your app profile says your app serves under-18s.