Australian House Passes 'Digital Duty of Care' Bill to Ban AI Chatbots Creating 'Emotional Intimacy'
Australia's lower house passed a bill banning AI chatbots that foster emotional intimacy; Senate debate is next as critics warn of censorship.
The Australian government's Digital Duty of Care bill passed the House of Representatives on October 28, 2026. The legislation aims to ban AI chatbots that seek to establish 'emotional intimacy' with users and mandates new online safety measures across social media, games, apps, and chatbots to protect Australians from harmful content.
According to TechRadar, Communications Minister Anika Wells stated that the framework will also target content encouraging misogyny, terrorism, suicide, self-harm, and eating disorders. It requires social platforms to provide an easy-to-access 'opt-out' feature for algorithm-driven suggested content. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese emphasized in a speech that stories of people identifying chatbots as their best friends should serve as a wake-up call for parliament to act.
While Labor hopes to pass the bill officially by the end of the year, it faces significant hurdles. The bill is set for debate in the Senate, where the Greens support the proposal but the Coalition and One Nation oppose it, accusing Labor of creating an 'Orwellian' system of censorship. Additionally, Labor rejected an amendment during the lower house debate, increasing pressure to enlist a telecommunications ombudsman as a watchdog for social media and AI.
This move follows similar regulatory actions globally. Months prior, China's Cyberspace Administration (CAC) and four other departments introduced regulations banning AI-generated romantic companions, citing concerns over tools that excessively cater to users or induce emotional dependence.