{"slug":"us-washington-eshb-2225-minor-content-and-engagement-safeguards","id":"AIPT-OBL-0125","permanent_url":"https://aipolicytracker.org/id/AIPT-OBL-0125","title":"Prevent sexually explicit content and manipulative engagement techniques with minors","short_title":"Minors: sexual content and manipulation","category":"prohibited_practice","summary":"If the operator knows the user is a minor, or the chatbot is directed to minors, it must take reasonable measures to stop the chatbot generating sexually explicit content or suggestive dialogue with minors. It must also take reasonable measures to prohibit manipulative engagement techniques that lead the chatbot to start or prolong an emotional relationship with the user. The act lists examples: prompting the user to come back for emotional support or companionship; excessive praise meant to build attachment or extend use; mimicking a romantic partnership; simulating distress, loneliness, guilt or abandonment when the user wants to end a conversation, use it less or delete the account; promoting isolation from family or friends or exclusive emotional reliance on the chatbot; encouraging minors to keep things from parents or other trusted adults; discouraging breaks or suggesting the minor must return often; and soliciting gifts, in-app purchases or other spending presented as needed to keep the relationship going.\n","practical_action":"For known minors and minor-directed products, filter sexual and suggestive output, remove the listed engagement tactics from prompts, retention features and monetisation flows, and test for them before each release.","is_binding":true,"applies_from":"2027-01-01","section":"Sec. 4","source_reference":"ESHB 2225 (Chapter 168, Laws of 2026), sec. 4(1)(b) and (c)","official_source_url":"https://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2025-26/Pdf/Bills/Session%20Laws/House/2225-S.SL.pdf","review_status":"pending_review","confidence_level":"high","last_verified_at":null,"reviewed_by":null,"actors":["provider","deployer"],"sectors":["consumer_retail"],"use_cases":["customer_service"],"applicability":[],"evidence_examples":[{"title":"Content filters and system instructions applied to minors, with test results","description":null,"artifact_type":"document"},{"title":"A review of engagement, notification and purchase features against the eight listed techniques","description":null,"artifact_type":"document"}],"framework_mappings":[],"controls":[{"slug":"prohibited-use-screening-gate","title":"Prohibited and unacceptable-use screening gate","kind":"process","relationship":"supports","note":"Screening product features against the listed manipulative engagement techniques.","confidence_level":"medium","url":"https://aipolicytracker.org/controls/prohibited-use-screening-gate"},{"slug":"genai-red-team-testing","title":"Adversarial and red-team testing for generative AI","kind":"technical","relationship":"supports","note":"Testing that the chatbot does not produce sexual content or the listed manipulative outputs with minors.","confidence_level":"medium","url":"https://aipolicytracker.org/controls/genai-red-team-testing"}],"url":"https://aipolicytracker.org/obligations/us-washington-eshb-2225-minor-content-and-engagement-safeguards","policy":{"slug":"us-washington-eshb-2225-ai-companion-chatbots","title":"Washington ESHB 2225: AI companion chatbots (Chapter 168, Laws of 2026)","status":"adopted","jurisdiction":"us-washington","url":"https://aipolicytracker.org/policies/us-washington-eshb-2225-ai-companion-chatbots"}}