Australia Proposes Ban on AI Chatbots Seeking "Emotional Intimacy"
The federal government wants to ban AI chatbots that seek to create "emotional intimacy" with the people who use them. The proposal is part of a wider online safety bill, the Online Safety Amendment (Digital Duty of Care) Bill 2026, which passed the House of Representatives on Wednesday and will now be debated by the Senate in the coming weeks.
The bill would apply new online safety standards to social media, games, apps and chatbots. A "digital duty of care" is the broad idea behind it. The Parliamentary Library has described it as a requirement for platforms to take reasonable steps to prevent foreseeable harms on their platforms and services.
Under the bill, social media platforms would have to offer users an opt-out feature for their algorithm and suggested content. The government accepted an amendment from crossbencher Kate Chaney requiring that feature to be accessible, easy to use and prominently available.
The government also accepted a Chaney amendment that would require platforms to ban material or conduct that simulates emotional intimacy and encourages or fosters a child's dependence on it in place of human relationships. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that stories of people identifying a chatbot as their best friend should be a wake-up call for parliament to act.
Communications Minister Anika Wells said the laws would capture content promoting misogyny, terrorism, suicide, self-harm and eating disorders.
The bill has divided the parliament along familiar lines. The Greens support it. The Coalition has said it will not vote for it. In the House, the opposition and One Nation voted against it.
The government hopes to pass the bill by the end of 2026. The Greens have set up a Senate inquiry to examine the digital duty of care laws, and it is due to report back in late November.
The proposal builds on earlier moves in the same direction. In September, Reuters reported that the Labor government's draft social media laws would require platforms to notify users and offer them a choice over algorithms. In October 2025, Australia ordered four AI chatbot companies to explain the measures they had in place to protect children.
