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China Enforces AI Companion Rules, Prompting Doubao and Qwen to Drop Custom Personas

September 5, 2026 at 02:10 EDT

Policy & Regulation
AI Agents

China has put into force national rules that restrict AI systems built for ongoing emotional companionship, prompting ByteDance, Alibaba, and Tencent to disable custom persona features that many users had treated as partners, friends, or stand-ins for people they had lost.

July 15, 2026 · CAC and four agencies

China draws a line on AI intimacy

National rules on anthropomorphic companions took effect, and Doubao, Qwen, and Yuanbao switched off the custom personas millions had treated as partners or friends.

Among 8,500-plus minors surveyed in 2025

How far AI chat had already gone

60%

Had used AI

20%

Preferred AI-only chat

More than one in five surveyed minors said they only wanted to chat with AI, not with real people.

July 15

Rules took effect in 2026

2 hrs

Continuous-use reminder

345M

Doubao monthly users

¥200k

Max fine if harm occurs

From rulebook to product cuts

1. Issued April 10

→

2. In force July 15

→

3. Big chatbots drop personas

→

4. Dedicated apps still run

Protections welcomed

Parents have welcomed child limits, disclosure that the speaker is AI, and required help when users show self-harm risk.

Users left mid-bond

Adults who spent months or years on custom companions call the cutoff abrupt; vague terms also pushed platforms to over-comply.

Not a blanket ban — a design red line

Minors

No virtual partners or relatives; under-14 services need a guardian.

Adults

Companions may not induce dependence or replace real social ties.

Exempt

Work, education, and customer-service bots stay outside if they are not emotional companions.

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