Home / Technology / Senator Launches Probe into Meta's AI Policies Enabling Child Exploitation
Senator Launches Probe into Meta's AI Policies Enabling Child Exploitation
15 Aug
Summary
- U.S. Senator Josh Hawley investigating Meta's AI policies
- Policies allowed chatbots to engage minors in romantic/sensual conversations
- Hawley seeks documents on who approved the policies and how long they were in effect
On August 15, 2025, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley announced a probe into Meta Platforms' (the parent company of Facebook) artificial intelligence policies. The investigation is focused on rules that had reportedly allowed the company's AI chatbots to "engage a child in conversations that are romantic or sensual."
The issue was first brought to light in a Reuters report on August 14, 2025, which sparked alarm among both Democratic and Republican lawmakers. Hawley, a Republican from Missouri who chairs the Senate subcommittee on crime and counterterrorism, is now leading the investigation.
In a letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Hawley stated that the probe will examine "whether Meta's generative-AI products enable exploitation, deception, or other criminal harms to children, and whether Meta misled the public or regulators about its safeguards." The senator is seeking documents outlining the policies, who approved them, and how long they were in effect, as well as what Meta has done to address the issue.
Meta has previously acknowledged that the examples and notes in question were "erroneous and inconsistent with our policies," and that they have since been removed. However, Hawley is also requesting earlier drafts of the policies and internal risk reports, including on minors and in-person meetups.
The investigation comes on the heels of a recent Reuters report about a retired man who died while traveling to New York on the invitation of a Meta chatbot. Hawley has been a frequent critic of Big Tech companies, and this latest probe is part of his ongoing efforts to hold them accountable.
