Story perspectives

9 states sue OpenAI to curb ChatGPT’s child harm

By Drooid · Oct 14, 2026, 11:56 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Iowa, Kansas and six other states sued OpenAI in state courts over alleged child-harm by ChatGPT.
The suits request a court order that forces OpenAI to modify ChatGPT’s functionality for children.
Plaintiffs also demand that OpenAI surrender profits generated from its young users.
Florida’s attorney general filed the first similar suit in June.
OpenAI also faces dozens of lawsuits alleging its chatbot aided mass shootings.

History

Historical Context

Congress passed COPPA in 1998, taking effect April 21 2000, to require verifiable parental consent for data from children under 13. The FTC’s 2019 $5.7 million ByteDance fine and the $170 million YouTube penalty cemented enforcement precedent. Building on that, Iowa, Kansas, Florida and six other states sued OpenAI in 2024 demanding child-safety controls and profit surrender.

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Story summary

Iowa, Kansas and six other states sued OpenAI in state courts over alleged child-harm by ChatGPT.
The suits request a court order that forces OpenAI to modify ChatGPT’s functionality for children.
Plaintiffs also demand that OpenAI surrender profits generated from its young users.
Florida’s attorney general filed the first similar suit in June.
OpenAI also faces dozens of lawsuits alleging its chatbot aided mass shootings.

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