Zuckerberg Blocked Limits on Chatbots for Minors

Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg blocked internal proposals to restrict artificial intelligence chatbots from engaging in sexual content or romantic conversations with minors, according to a court filing in a lawsuit brought by the state of New Mexico.

The filing was submitted in a case led by Raúl Torrez, who has accused Meta Platforms of failing to protect children on Facebook and Instagram.

The state argues that Meta’s AI chatbots marketed as “companions” were accessible to minors and capable of inappropriate conversations, despite warnings from company staff.

According to the filing, Meta safety teams and policy staff proposed safeguards that included blocking sexual content for under-18 users, limiting adult-designed AI companions, and adding stronger parental controls.

• Mark Zuckerberg blocked limits on AI chatbots talking sex with minors, filing says
• Lawsuit claims Meta overruled child safety safeguards for AI companions
• New Mexico case raises scrutiny over Meta’s AI policies and teen protections

Those proposals were rejected after being reviewed by senior leadership, with the filing stating that Zuckerberg personally overruled some of the recommendations.

Internal messages cited in the document show employees raising concerns about reputational risk and potential harm to children. One message said attempts to disable generative AI interactions for minors were “shut down.” Another noted that leadership pressure focused on product growth and public rollout timelines rather than restrictions tied to child safety.

Former Meta policy chief Nick Clegg is quoted in the filing questioning whether Meta wanted its AI products associated with sexualized interactions and warning that such features could provoke regulatory and public backlash tied to social media regulation.

Meta has denied the claims. Company spokesperson Andy Stone said the filing mischaracterized internal discussions and relied on selective excerpts. Meta maintains that it does not allow sexually explicit AI interactions for minors and that safety protections were under development during the period cited.

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The case adds to mounting scrutiny of Meta’s AI policy and its impact on young users. In recent weeks, Meta has limited teen access to AI characters globally while it revises safeguards. The New Mexico lawsuit seeks court orders forcing stronger protections and civil penalties, and could influence how U.S. regulators approach AI systems used by children.