Italy fines Character.AI for failing to protect minors

Italy's data protection authority fined Character Technologies, the US company behind Character.AI, €158,000 for failing to protect minors. The platform lets users chat with AI characters, but until late last year, minors could freely use open chat features. Regulators found issues with data protection, age verification, and privacy settings for young users. Italy demands better age checks and default private profiles for minors.