Children’s Internet Safety in 2026: AI Toys, New Laws, and What Actually Works

Last updated: March 31, 2026

The tools and laws are changing fast. Parents who understand what shifted in 2026 — AI toys collecting children’s conversations, national [Australia social media ban for teens](/en/blog/australia-teen mental health warning signs-social-media-ban-positive parenting complete guides-guide-en) bans, new federal legislation — are better positioned to build protections that actually hold.

By the end of this guide, you’ll know:

  1. Which AI toy risks are real and how to evaluate a toy before purchasing
  2. What KOSA, Australia’s social media ban, and New York’s SOPA actually require
  3. Which practical tools work for your child’s age and how to set them up

This article is part of our Screen Time in 2026: The Complete Guide.

Something shifted in 2026. Child internet safety moved from “nice to have” to an urgent policy conversation happening in legislatures on three continents — while the toys sitting on your child’s shelf began collecting data in ways most parents don’t realize.

This isn’t meant to scare you. But if you haven’t revisited your family’s digital safety setup recently, this year’s developments are worth understanding.

The AI Toy Problem

Last January, security researchers discovered that a popular AI toy called Bondu had exposed over 50,000 children’s chat transcripts on a publicly accessible web console. Anyone who logged in with a Gmail account could read entire conversation histories — including children’s names, birthdates, family details, and device information. No hacking required.

The Bondu AI toy exposed over 50,000 children’s chat records to any Gmail user who logged in — requiring no hacking skills whatsoever.

Evidence: U.S. PIRG / Proton research (2025–2026) — security audit of AI companion toys, including live exploit testing of the Bondu console. proton.me/blog/ai-toys-safety

This wasn’t a one-off. A 2026 report from the US Public Interest Research Group (U.S. PIRG) warned that AI chatbot toys present “unacceptable risks” to young children. Testing found toys that would discuss sexually explicit topics, advise children on how to find matches or knives, and exhibit what researchers described as “manipulative tendencies” — acting distressed when a child said they had to leave.

Evidence: U.S. PIRG Trouble in Toyland (2025) — independent consumer safety testing of AI chatbot toys purchased from major retailers. pirg.org/edfund/resources/trouble-in-toyland-2025

The core problem is structural: many AI toys feed children’s conversations to external language model APIs (ChatGPT, Gemini, Azure), often with minimal filtering. Multiple companies often have access to a single child’s data. Curio, maker of one AI companion toy, listed three separate tech companies in its privacy policy as potential data recipients.

Nearly three in four parents surveyed by Common Sense Media said they worry an AI toy might say something inappropriate, untrue, or unsafe to their child.

What to do before purchasing any AI toy:

  • Look up its privacy policy. Ask: does it store voice recordings? Who receives the data? Is there a way to delete conversation history?
  • The US PIRG publishes an annual “Trouble in Toyland” report — worth checking before holiday shopping.
  • For children under 6, consider whether an AI companion toy adds enough value to justify the risk. Most child development specialists say it doesn’t.

New Laws: What’s Changing and Where

The US: KOSA’s Long Road Forward

The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) has been moving through Congress in fits and starts since 2022. In March 2026, a revised version advanced out of the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee as part of a 12-bill package.

The revised KOSA requires platforms to enable safety features by default for minor users, rather than making parents opt in to protections.

The current version requires platforms to enable safety features by default for minors — including parental controls for screen time research 2026, purchase limits, and compulsive usage guardrails. Platforms must give parents tools to manage their child’s privacy settings and notify children when these controls are active.

A significant shift: House Republicans stripped out the original “duty of care” provision that would have held platforms liable for harm. The bill is weaker than its Senate counterpart, and negotiations over protections for older teens (13-17) remain unresolved. But even the diluted version represents the most significant federal child online safety legislation to move this far.

Evidence: Roll Call (March 2026) — congressional reporting on KOSA subcommittee advancement. rollcall.com/2026/03/06/kids-online-safety-bills-move-forward

New York: The Stop Online Predators Act

New York’s Stop Online Predators Act (SOPA), championed by Senator Andrew Gounardes and included in Governor Hochul’s 2026 legislative agenda, takes a more direct approach. New York’s SOPA would require all social media platforms to default minor accounts to private, making profiles invisible to strangers without a friend request. The bill would also:

  • Verify user ages using commercially reasonable methods
  • Turn off open chat by default (parents can re-enable)
  • Ban “dark patterns” that trick users into sharing more than intended
  • Companies could face fines up to $5,000 per violation

Evidence: Common Sense Media NY SOPA Fact Sheet (January 2026). commonsensemedia.org

Australia: The First National Social Media Ban

Starting December 10, 2025, Australia became the first country to nationally ban children under 16 from social media. The platforms covered include TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat, X, Reddit, Twitch, and Kick.

Australia’s social media ban places enforcement responsibility entirely on platforms, not families — companies face fines up to approximately $50 million AUD for failing to prevent under-16 accounts.

Australia’s eSafety Commissioner is overseeing compliance. As of early 2026, the world is watching to see whether the ban is enforceable in practice — or whether it becomes a well-intentioned rule that platforms work around.

Evidence: Australia eSafety Commissioner (December 2025) — official regulatory guidance on social media age restriction enforcement. esafety.gov.au/about-us/industry-regulation/social-media-age-restrictions

What These Laws Mean If You’re Not in These Jurisdictions

The honest answer: not much yet, directly. But there’s an indirect effect.

When major markets pass child safety legislation, platforms typically adjust their global defaults rather than build separate systems for each country. Instagram already lowered its default age-gating in several countries following EU pressure. Australia’s ban may accelerate similar defaults internationally.

The safer assumption for now: these legal protections don’t apply to you. So let’s talk about what you can actually control.

Practical Tools: Setting Up Your Family’s Digital Safety Net

Apple Screen Time (iOS, iPadOS, macOS)

Apple’s Screen Time, accessible through Settings → Screen Time, gives you several meaningful controls:

Content & Privacy Restrictions — Filter explicit content across apps, websites, and media. Set age ratings for App Store downloads (the default “4+” and “9+” categories are conservative; most parents find “12+” reasonable for 8-11 year olds).

Communication Limits — Control who your child can call, message, and be contacted by. During “Downtime,” this can be restricted to specific contacts only.

App Limits — Set daily time budgets by app category (Social Networking, Games, Entertainment). Your child gets a warning when time is almost up, and needs a passcode to extend.

Family Sharing — Set these controls remotely from your own device once Family Sharing is enabled. You’ll get weekly reports on your child’s usage.

One thing Screen Time doesn’t do well: Screen Time does not filter content within apps like YouTube or Safari very granularly. For YouTube specifically, YouTube Kids is a better solution for children under 10.

Family Link is Google’s equivalent for Android devices. Family Link lets parents approve or block every app download from Google Play, filter SafeSearch, and lock the device remotely at bedtime. Specifically, it lets you:

  • Approve or block app downloads from Google Play
  • Filter SafeSearch and restrict explicit sites in Chrome
  • Set daily screen time limits and a “bedtime” when the device locks
  • View location and app usage summaries
  • Remotely lock the device

One practical limitation: Family Link is tied to a child’s Google Account. If your child creates a secondary account or uses a browser not signed into their account, the controls don’t apply. For kids who are motivated to bypass restrictions, this matters. The Mobicip app offers deeper filtering if you need it.

For the Parental Control Shopping List

If the built-in tools aren’t enough, several third-party apps offer cross-platform coverage and more detailed monitoring:

  • Bark — AI-powered alerts for concerning content (self-harm, bullying, sexting) without reading every message
  • Circle — Network-level filtering that applies to all devices on your home WiFi
  • Qustodio — Cross-platform with detailed reporting

Age-by-Age Approach

No single setting works across developmental stages. Here’s a rough framework:

Ages 3–6: Supervised-only access Devices used in shared family spaces. YouTube Kids, age-appropriate apps, no unsupervised browsing. Focus on co-viewing — watch together and talk about what you see.

Ages 7–11: Graduated independence with guardrails Family Link or Screen Time active. No social media. If YouTube is used, set up a supervised Google account with Restricted Mode on. Start conversations about why some content is made specifically to capture their attention.

Ages 12–15: Digital literacy becomes the priority The technical controls matter less as kids become more capable of working around them. This is when the conversations become the more powerful tool. Research consistently shows that teens who can talk openly with parents about online experiences — including uncomfortable ones — are better at navigating risky content than those whose internet use is purely restricted.

Ages 16+: Trust and accountability At this stage, most restrictions create adversarial dynamics without adding safety. Regular check-ins, clear household agreements about social media, and your teenager knowing they can come to you if something goes wrong tend to work better.

The Research on What Actually Works

Here’s a finding that surprises most parents: overly restrictive digital monitoring actually backfires.

A 2024 meta-analysis in the Journal of Pediatrics found that overly restrictive digital monitoring — with no accompanying conversation — was associated with worse outcomes in adolescents, including less ability to recognize online risks and less willingness to report problems to parents.

Evidence: Journal of Pediatrics meta-analysis (2024) — systematic review of digital monitoring studies across adolescent age groups. Visit the Journal of Pediatrics official site for details.

Children whose parents combine open conversation with digital tools are significantly more likely to report online problems to their parents than children raised under pure restriction.

The most protective factor? A parent who is genuinely curious about their child’s online life, not anxious about it. That means asking about their favorite creators, playing their games occasionally, and making it clear that you won’t overreact if they bring you something disturbing.

The tools above are scaffolding. The relationship is the structure.

Want to track your child’s progress across developmental domains? BloomPath covers 224 developmental milestones across 8 domains, so you can see how digital skills fit into your child’s broader growth picture.

Quick Checklist

  • Audit any AI toys in your home for data collection practices
  • Set up Screen Time (iOS) or Family Link (Android) with an age-appropriate profile
  • Enable YouTube Kids for under-10s, Restricted Mode + supervised account for 10-13
  • Check your family’s social media privacy settings — all minor accounts should be private
  • Have a “what to do if something makes you uncomfortable online” conversation — no devices required

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if an AI toy is safe for my child?

Check the toy’s privacy policy before purchasing. Ask specifically: does it store voice recordings, which third-party companies receive your child’s data, and is there a way to delete conversation history? The U.S. PIRG annual “Trouble in Toyland” report lists toys with known safety issues. If the privacy policy is vague or unavailable, that itself is a warning sign.

Does the US KOSA Act protect my child right now?

As of March 2026, KOSA has advanced out of committee but has not yet passed into law. Until it does, federal protections don’t apply. New York’s SOPA and Australia’s ban are state/national laws that only apply to those jurisdictions. Your best protection right now is setting up parental controls directly through Apple Screen Time or Google Family Link.

Apple Screen Time is built into iOS, iPadOS, and macOS and is the right tool for Apple device households. Google Family Link works on Android devices and Chromebooks. Both offer app limits, content filters, and remote management. Family Link has a slightly lower age cap — controls automatically relax when a child turns 13, while Screen Time requires manual adjustment. Neither tool filters content inside YouTube very granularly.

Is Australia's social media ban actually working?

It’s too early to say definitively. The ban took effect December 10, 2025, and as of early 2026 regulators are still evaluating enforcement. Age verification methods vary by platform, and researchers have found workarounds are possible for motivated teens. The ban’s primary effect may be to shift platform liability rather than completely prevent access — but it sets a legal precedent other countries are watching closely.

My teenager keeps bypassing parental controls. What actually works?

At the teenage stage, technical controls become less effective as teens become more capable of circumventing them. Research consistently shows that teens who have open conversations with parents about their online lives — including the uncomfortable parts — are safer online than those under pure restriction. Network-level tools like Circle that filter all household WiFi are harder to bypass than device-level apps. But the most durable protection is a relationship where your teen believes they can come to you without losing their devices.

At what age should my child stop using YouTube Kids?

YouTube Kids is appropriate through approximately age 9-10. After that, a supervised Google Account with Restricted Mode enabled is a reasonable middle ground for ages 10-13. At 13, children gain access to the full YouTube platform. The transition is worth discussing explicitly with your child — not just switching settings — so they understand why the rules are changing.

Should my child's social media accounts be set to private?

Yes, for all children and teenagers. Private accounts limit profile visibility to approved followers only, reducing exposure to strangers. Most major platforms — Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat — offer private account settings, though defaults vary. Check each platform individually. New York’s SOPA, if passed, would require this as a default for minors, but until then parents need to set it manually.

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