At the time that both teens downloaded the app, it was rated safe for teens on both the Apple and iOS app stores. Though it's declined to publicly share information about safety testing, Character.AI continues to market its product as safe for teens. There's currently no regulation preventing the company from doing so, or compelling chatbot makers to make information about their guardrails and safety testing public.
This says it all
ANY time companies are allowed to police themselves they'll attempt to sell your first born and enslave your grand mother, not to mention what they'd do to your spouse.
Companies cannot ever be allowed to police themselves. I've been in countless meetings with c-suite execs and it's a continuous "first do, ask for forgiveness later" party at every company, all the time.
Fuck these assholes