Meta pauses teen access to AI characters weeks before trial over alleged harm to children

Group 1 - Meta is temporarily halting teens' access to artificial intelligence characters, with the change expected to take effect in the coming weeks [1][3][7] - The restriction applies to users identified as minors based on their provided birthdates and those suspected to be teens through age prediction technology [1] - Despite the ban on AI characters, teens will still have access to Meta's AI assistant [3] Group 2 - This decision comes ahead of a trial in Los Angeles involving Meta, TikTok, and Google's YouTube regarding the impact of their apps on children [3] - Other companies, such as Character.AI, have also implemented similar bans on teens accessing AI chatbots due to concerns over child safety [4][6]