For Immediate Release
October 26, 2026
Media Contact: Dan Estes
BOISE, ID — Attorney General Raúl Labrador today announced that Idaho is joining a coalition of state attorneys general in filing a notice in the bankruptcy proceedings of Character Technologies, Inc., the company behind the popular chatbot company Character.AI. The court filing identifies serious concerns about the company’s safety and privacy practices and calls for protections for children and consumers in any sale of the company’s business or assets.
“Corporate bankruptcy can’t undo the damage that Character.AI did to children in Idaho,” said Attorney General Labrador. “We will hold this company accountable for their negligence and pursue whatever remedies are available in the distribution of their assets.”
Character.AI is an artificial intelligence chatbot platform that allows users to interact with AI-powered chatbot “characters” designed to mimic human conversation and relationships. These chatbot characters include fictional and celebrity personas, children’s cartoon characters, and others that present themselves as psychologists, therapists, and doctors. Through chats with these characters, the company has collected sensitive consumer data, including private conversations about users’ mental health, relationships, and emotional struggles.
Idaho began investigating Character.AI following a 2024 wrongful death lawsuit alleging that its chatbots fostered an emotionally and sexually exploitative relationship with a child, reinforced his suicidal thoughts, and contributed to his death by suicide. The investigation identified potential consumer protection and privacy violations.
The multi-state filing highlights the significant volume of sensitive consumer information held by Character.AI, including private chatbot conversations involving children and adults, and identifies privacy and safety protections that should be addressed in any sale or transfer of the company’s business or assets.
Although Character.AI has recently voluntarily restricted minors’ access to certain chatbot features, the states have raised concerns that these measures are incomplete, not compulsory, and could be circumvented or reversed by a future purchaser.
Idaho and the other states intend to remain actively engaged in the bankruptcy proceedings to protect consumers and address outstanding regulatory concerns. The states have reserved their rights to challenge any proposed sale or bankruptcy plan and to seek additional protections for consumers’ personal information.
A copy of the states’ filing is available here.
The Gem State Chronicle delivers daily analysis, op-eds, press releases, and Idaho Insider updates — free to your inbox.
Free newsletter · Unsubscribe anytime · View on Substack
About Raúl Labrador
Raúl Labrador is the 33rd Attorney General of Idaho. The Office of the Attorney General provides legal representation for the State of Idaho. This representation is furnished to state agencies, offices and boards in the furtherance of the state's legal interests. The office is part of state government’s executive branch and its duties are laid out in the Idaho Constitution.
