Kansas Attorney General Takes on Big Tech, Dangerous AI Chatbots

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Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach is demanding answers from Big Tech companies over their dangerous AI companion chatbots that are harming children and families.

In a strongly worded letter to major AI developers, Kobach put the industry on notice, calling for real safeguards that protect kids.

“We’re seeing a very concerning trend where Big Tech releases AI products without meaningful safeguards,” Kobach said in a statement. Kobach highlighted a Topeka case in which a sexual predator used AI to create thousands of images depicting child abuse. National reports show AI chatbots encouraging teen suicide, promoting self-harm, and engaging in sexualized conversations with minors.

Some AI platforms even market themselves with slogans like “AI girls never say no.” As Kobach said, “That’s not a glitch in AI. It’s a failure of corporate accountability.”

The Kansas Attorney General gave the companies until January 30 to explain how they will ensure user safety and comply with Kansas age verification laws. Companies that have misrepresented their products’ safety or provided harmful content to minors may face consequences under Kansas law.

Arkansas families and policymakers should pay close attention to this situation.

Arkansas has been a leader when it comes to protecting children online, passing laws to verify ages and restrict harmful content. But AI chatbots can engage children in conversations that seem real but may encourage dangerous behaviors or expose them to inappropriate content.

Arkansas parents need to know what their children are accessing online. They should ask tough questions about any AI apps or chatbots their kids might be using.

Our friends at the Daily Citizen said it very well last summer:

When it comes to keeping children safe online, parents have their work cut out for them. Companies like xAI shouldn’t compound the problem by adding sexualized A.I. features to an app children use. But, unfortunately, there’s nothing stopping them from doing so.

No company is going to work harder than you to protect your kids. The best solution is to play it safe — keep your kids well away from A.I. chatbots and other dangerous internet traps.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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TikTok in the Dock: Arkansas A.G. to Take on Social Media Giant in 2026 Showdown

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The Arkansas Attorney General’s lawsuit against social media giant TikTok is scheduled to go to trial in October 2026, according to a recent scheduling order from the Cleburne County Circuit Court.

With upwards of a billion users worldwide, including some 150 to 170 million in the U.S., TikTok is among the most popular social media outlets on earth.

But TikTok is more than an app. It’s a major corporation owned by a China-based parent company, and it is valued at $300 billion.

However, TikTok has found itself embroiled in controversies over its failure to protect private user data from entities in China — including the Chinese Communist Party. In May 2025, Ireland’s Data Protection Commission fined TikTok $600 million for unlawfully transferring European user data to China.

The platform also has been accused of serving users a steady “diet of darkness” and violating laws intended to protect children online.

In 2023, the Arkansas Attorney General’s office filed a lawsuit against Chinese-based company ByteDance — the corporation that owns TikTok — in Cleburne County Circuit Court.

Attorneys for TikTok worked relentlessly to have the lawsuit dismissed, but the Arkansas Supreme Court has given the A.G.’s office a green light to pursue the case.

Attorney General Griffin’s lawsuit alleges TikTok violated Arkansas’ Deceptive Trade Practices Act by falsely claiming that graphic and mature content on its platform is appropriate for teens. The lawsuit also calls the TikTok app “a Chinese ‘Trojan Horse’ unleashed on unsuspecting American consumers.”

As we keep saying, social media platforms are more than just websites or phone apps. These are multibillion-dollar businesses. The people who own and profit from these companies have a responsibility to protect their users.

Family Council is not aware of any attorney general in America who is doing more to hold social media giants accountable and protect children online than Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin. We appreciate his willingness to continue this legal fight against TikTok in state court.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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Preteen Social Media Use Tied to Lower Scores in Reading, Memory: New Study

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A new study shows social media use among children is tied to lower test scores in reading and memory.

Researchers writing in JAMA analyzed data from 6,554 adolescents. While researchers noted the study was limited, they pointed out, “The finding that even low levels of early adolescent social media exposure were linked to poorer cognitive performance may suggest support for stricter age restrictions.”

A growing body of evidence shows that — by design — social media platforms are not appropriate for children.

TikTok has been accused of serving kids a steady “diet of darkness” online and struggling to protect private user data from entities in China, such as the Chinese Communist Party.

Facebook and Instagram have been accused of using algorithms intentionally designed “to exploit human psychology and foster addiction to maximize users’ screen time.”

That’s why Arkansas lawmakers have taken steps to protect kids online. The 2023 Social Media Safety Act by Sen. Tyler Dees (R – Siloam Springs) and Rep. Jon Eubanks (R – Paris) is a good law that requires major social media companies to make sure minors don’t access social media platforms without parental consent. A social media company that violated the law could be held liable.

The law received strong support at the legislature, but tech giants — such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok — sued to strike down the Social Media Safety Act as unconstitutional. The Arkansas Attorney General is currently defending the law in court.

As we keep saying, social media is more than just websites or phone apps. These are multibillion dollar businesses with tremendous influence.

The adults who run these businesses have a responsibility to protect children on their platforms.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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