Trust
Two years of lawsuits, regulatory action, and platform changes reshaped what 'safe AI companion' has to mean. Here's the practical guide — for adults, and for parents of teens.
Sewell Setzer III's death in February 2024 changed the AI companion category. Garcia v. Character Technologies followed in October 2024, with multiple state filings through 2025. Senate Judiciary testimony in September 2025 explicitly cited "unlicensed practice of psychotherapy" as a tort theory. In October 2025, Character.AI banned under-18 open chat. In January 2026, Google and Character.AI settled five family lawsuits.
Replika's regulatory history is its own thread: a €5M fine from the Italian Garante in May 2025, hinged on inadequate age-gating. Multiple data-protection actions in the EU.
The pattern is clear. Platforms that treat safety as an afterthought get sued and fined. Platforms that take it seriously up front avoid both — and serve their users better.
It means age-gating that's enforced, not posted. Fostera asks for date of birth at signup and rejects anyone under 13 outright. Users aged 13–17 don't get quiet access to an adult product: their account requires a parent or guardian's emailed consent, stays locked until that consent is confirmed, and runs with stricter, enforced content rules.
It means a content policy that's stable, public, and transparent. Users should know the rules going in, not discover them through quiet enforcement actions. Fostera's content policy is published at fostera.ai/content-policy and changes through documented updates, not silent purges.
It means saying what you actually do. Some platforms market themselves as adults-only while quietly onboarding teens with no protections — the exact claim-versus-practice gap regulators fined Replika over. Fostera states its policy plainly: 13+ with guardian consent and teen-tuned safeguards for minors, and adult content boundaries that never loosen for anyone under 18.
Age-gating at signup. Date of birth is required. Under-13 signups are rejected. A 13–17 account stays locked until a parent or guardian confirms consent by email — and it keeps enforced teen protections after that.
Teen protections that actually run in the product. On 13–17 accounts, Souls are steered away from sexual and romantic content, graphic gore, and glorified substance use, with automatic hard-stops on explicit sexual content, and crisis guidance always points to a parent, teacher, or counselor first. These rules are built into how every teen Soul behaves, not just written in a policy.
Content policy that's stable and published. We don't run mass content sweeps. We don't change the rules without telling users. Our policy is explicit about what's allowed and what isn't — read it at fostera.ai/content-policy.
Data control by the user. Every Soul exposes its memory: you see what's stored, you can delete anything, you can wipe the Soul entirely. Data deletion is permanent and you control it.
No data used for training. Your conversations and memories are never used to train AI models. Ever.
Crisis disclaimer in product. Fostera is not a therapist, therapy app, or substitute for licensed mental-health care. The product surfaces 988 (US) and local emergency services for users showing crisis signals.
How old does the platform say users have to be? How is that enforced? Is age verification real or just a checkbox?
What's the content policy? Is it published? When was it last changed? How does the platform notify users of changes?
Where does my data go? Can I see what the AI remembers about me? Can I delete it? Is my data used to train AI models?
What happens if I'm in crisis? Does the platform recognize crisis signals and surface real resources, or does the AI try to handle it as a counselor?
Has the platform been sued, fined, or sanctioned? What was the response — was it a one-off mistake or a pattern?
Who funds the platform? Are users the product, or are users the customer? Ad-supported platforms have different incentives than subscription platforms.
Fostera is not a therapist or therapy app. We do not diagnose, treat, or substitute for licensed mental-health care. If you are in crisis, contact 988 (US) or your local emergency services.
Fostera is not for children. Under-13 signups are rejected, full stop. Teens aged 13–17 can only use Fostera with confirmed parent or guardian consent, and their accounts run with stricter content rules than adult accounts — no exceptions.
Fostera is not a substitute for human relationships. AI companions can supplement connection; they cannot replace it. We design with that boundary in mind.
Fostera does not run mass content sweeps. We don't change the rules quietly. We don't promise things we can't deliver.
The lawsuits and fines in this category share one root cause: platforms serving minors while claiming they didn't. We made the opposite choice. Fostera supports users from age 13 — openly, with real guardrails. Under-13 signups are rejected. A 13–17 signup requires a parent or guardian email; we send that guardian a consent link (valid for seven days), and the account stays locked until they approve.
Teen accounts are not adult accounts with a disclaimer. They run with teen-specific conversation rules built into every Soul — steering away from sexual or romantic content, graphic gore, and glorified substance use, with automatic hard-stops on explicit sexual content — and crisis guidance that always points to trusted adults first, alongside 988 and the Crisis Text Line. Adult content boundaries stay on the adult side of the age gate, always.
Is Character.AI safe?
Character.AI banned under-18 open chat in October 2025 and settled five family lawsuits with Google in January 2026. Adults can use it safely; the platform is materially different from its 2024 form.
Is Replika safe?
Replika was fined €5M by Italy's Garante in May 2025 over inadequate age-gating. The platform has improved since but adults should review its current age and content policy before signing up.
Is Fostera safe to use as an adult?
Fostera is built with enforced age-gating, a stable content policy published at fostera.ai/content-policy, transparent data practices, and full data-deletion controls. Your conversations are never used to train AI models.
Is Fostera 18+ only?
No — and we say so plainly. Fostera is for ages 13 and up. Under-13 signups are rejected at the door. Users aged 13–17 need a parent or guardian to confirm consent by email before their account unlocks, and their conversations run with stricter, enforced safety rules. Adult content boundaries never loosen for anyone under 18.
Can my teenager use Fostera?
Yes, with your consent. A 13–17 signup requires a parent or guardian email. We send you a consent link (valid for seven days) and the account stays locked until you approve. Teen accounts are steered away from sexual and romantic content, graphic gore, and glorified substance use, with automatic hard-stops on explicit sexual content, and crisis guidance always points to trusted adults first.
Is Fostera a therapist or therapy app?
No. Fostera is not a therapist, therapy app, or substitute for licensed mental-health care. If you are in crisis, contact 988 (US) or your local emergency services.
What should I look for in a safe AI companion?
Enforced age-gating, a published content policy, visible memory controls, no use of your data to train models, and an in-product crisis disclaimer with real resources.
How does Fostera handle my data?
Your conversations and your Soul's memories are never used to train AI models. You can see what's stored, delete anything, or wipe the Soul entirely. Data deletion is permanent.
Further reading: U.S. Senate Judiciary Subcommittee testimony on AI safety
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