Senator Markey Celebrates Unanimous Committee Passage of His Youth AI Privacy Act

Washington (August 5, 2026) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, today celebrated the passage of his Youth AI Privacy Act unanimously through the Senate Commerce Committee. This crucial legislation would require AI companies to build safety and privacy safeguards into their chatbots for minors.

"Today's unanimous committee passage of my Youth AI Privacy Act is a huge step forward for protecting kids' privacy and safety in the age of AI," said Senator Markey. "This vote demonstrates bipartisan support for robust privacy safeguards in AI chatbots and sends a clear message that Big Tech must prioritize kids over their bottom line. I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass the Youth AI Privacy Act into law."

Emerging evidence clearly suggests that minors are especially vulnerable to the harms of AI chatbots, particularly as companies introduce increasingly manipulative design features and rely on large amounts of children's personal data. The Youth AI Privacy Act would set new privacy standards for these systems, curb the business incentives that drive harmful design choices, and address the ways Big Tech has engineered chatbots to encourage compulsive use among young people.

In July, Senator Markey announced new support for the legislation, following its initial introduction in March 2026.

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