On 18 September 2026, China's internet regulator, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), published a draft State Council regulation — 'Regulations on Safeguarding Minors' Healthy and Safe Use of the Internet' — that would bar network service providers from offering minors virtual companions, virtual relatives and other virtual-intimacy services. Public comment runs until 17 October 2026; it is not yet final law.
The draft goes beyond China's earlier July 2026 AI companion rules by proposing an outright ban on the product category for under-18s, and it requires services that could affect under-16s to run inside a dedicated 'minors mode' with time limits and parental controls. It also tells platforms not to deploy algorithms that foster emotional dependence, addiction or excessive spending among minors.
This is the strictest government posture yet against intimate AI for youth, sitting alongside California's SB 243, the EU AI Act and the proposed EU KIDS Act as part of a widening global regulatory map for the category. Our 2026 industry report tracks how those rules are reshaping companion platforms. The draft was reported by SCMP and China Daily.