China orders companies to discontinue AI companion features, reshaping the tech landscape

China’s Cyberspace Administration, alongside multiple partner agencies, has issued sweeping new rules that effectively kill AI companion products across the country’s biggest tech platforms. The “Interim Measures for the Administration of AI Anthropomorphic Interactive Services,” introduced on April 10, prohibit platforms from offering emotionally interactive AI services, including virtual companions and simulated intimate relationships, to anyone under 18.

The regulations take effect on July 15, but the country’s tech giants aren’t waiting around. ByteDance, Alibaba, Tencent, and NetEase have already started ripping out features.

What’s actually changing

ByteDance’s Doubao, which serves 345 million monthly active users, disabled its custom AI agents entirely. Users who had built up conversation histories with their AI companions now have read-only access to those chats. That access window closes on October 15.

The scope here is broader than just chatbots pretending to be boyfriends. The regulations target virtual partners, emotional relationship simulations, and any AI service designed to create emotional dependence among young users. Platforms must also implement emotional distress detection and crisis intervention measures. Users retain full control over their personal data under the new framework.

Beijing’s broader AI governance playbook

The AI companion crackdown fits into Beijing’s ongoing campaign to reduce harmful technology exposure for minors. Previous rounds of regulation targeted gaming time limits and social media usage for young people. The regulations require age verification and parental consent for users under 18.

The framework specifically targets services aimed at or accessible to minors. But the way major platforms have responded, by disabling features broadly rather than implementing age-gating, suggests that the compliance burden of separating adult and minor users may be too heavy for some companies to bear.

What this means for investors

ByteDance’s Doubao at 345 million monthly active users was one of China’s most successful AI consumer products. The forced removal of custom AI agents meaningfully changes its value proposition for users who came specifically for the companion features.

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