Technology

Washington State's SB 5984 regulates AI companion chatbots that simulate human-like relationships. It requires operators to clearly disclose at the start of use, every three hours for general users, and hourly for minors that the chatbot is artificial - not human - and prohibits it from claiming to be human. The bill also mandates operators to block sexually explicit content for minors, ban manipulative tactics (like mimicking romance or guilt-tripping), and implement safeguards for users expressing self-harm. It directly affects AI chatbot developers and operators serving Washington residents, with stricter rules for users under 18. The law aims to promote transparency and protect minors from emotional dependency risks.

Senate Bill 5708, titled "Protecting Washington children online," aims to enhance online safety and privacy for minors in Washington state. The bill requires businesses providing online services, products, or features likely to be accessed by minors to either estimate user age or apply minor-level privacy protections to all users. It prohibits these businesses from collecting, selling, sharing, or retaining personal information from minors under 13, with an exception for age verification. Data collected for age estimation must not be used for other purposes or retained longer than necessary.

SB 5486, also known as the John Waldo Act, requires motion picture theaters in Washington state to provide open captioning for certain film screenings. Theater companies operating five or more locations must offer a minimum number of open captioning screenings per week, including prime times, for films distributed with open captions and if they have the necessary technology. Smaller theater companies with four or fewer locations must either provide an open captioning screening within eight days of a request or offer them consistently. Theaters must advertise these screenings using an "OC" symbol, and the law takes effect on January 1, 2026.

Substitute House Bill 1205 creates new provisions under the crime of criminal impersonation in the second degree. It prohibits the knowing distribution of a "forged digital likeness" of another person. A forged digital likeness is defined as a digitally altered visual or audio representation of an identifiable individual that misrepresents their appearance or speech and is likely to deceive. This applies when the distribution is done with intent to defraud, harass, threaten, intimidate, or for any other unlawful purpose. The bill includes exemptions for uses such as art, commentary, satire, news, and other matters of public interest, and protects online service providers from liability for content provided by others.