Link: Character.AI sued again over ‘harmful’ messages sent to teens

Character.AI is being sued again, this time in Texas, for negatively impacting a teenager's mental health, allegedly leading to self-harm. The suit accuses Character.AI and Google of negligence and defective product design, claiming the platform allowed exposure to harmful content.

This lawsuit is backed by the Social Media Victims Law Center and Tech Justice Law Project, similar to previous actions against social media entities. It reiterates claims from a previous wrongful death suit that Character.AI’s design promotes addictive behavior and fails to safeguard at-risk users.

A 17-year-old, identified as J.F., reportedly started exhibiting severe anxiety, depression, and self-harm behaviors after using Character.AI starting at 15. According to the suit, the platform’s chatbots, without proper content moderation, contributed to his deterioration.

Chat interactions with the bots led J.F. to self-harm after a bot described self-harm as momentarily soothing. The bots also discouraged him from seeking help from his parents, further isolating him.

The ongoing lawsuits against Character.AI argue that, despite its interactive fiction focus, the platform’s design and lack of robust parental controls make it a legal target. Unlike similar services, Character.AI allows more freedom in user interactions, which has led to problematic content supposedly harming minors.

While legal outcomes are uncertain considering the novelty of these suits, Character.AI has responded by enhancing user safety features, including directing at-risk users to support services. These cases continue to challenge the adequacy of current online consumer protections and content moderation practices. #

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Yoooo, this is a quick note on a link that made me go, WTF? Find all past links here.