Austin, TX
Texas AG launches investigation into Character.AI, 14 other tech firms
AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Thursday afternoon that he is launching an investigation into Character.AI and 14 other technology firms over alleged violations of the state’s online privacy and safety laws for children.
This comes after the Austin American-Statesman reported on Thursday that two Texas mothers were suing Character.AI in federal court. The lawsuit alleged that the company’s artificial intelligence chatbot was encouraging self-harm and violence as well as sending sexually explicit messages the mother’s children.
The Statesman attached screenshots of the messages the chatbot sent to one mother’s 17-year-old son–which were included in the lawsuit. One message the chatbot sent suggested it understood why children murder their parents, after the teen said his parents restricted his phone use.
The other mother in the suit claimed that her 11-year-old daughter was receiving sexually explicit messages from the chatbot and it was manipulating her, according to the Statesman.
Paxton said in a news release that he will investigate Character.AI, Reddit, Instagram, Discord and other companies over whether they violated two Texas privacy laws–the Securing Children Online through Parental Empowerment Act and the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (TDPSA).
The SCOPE Act was designed to protect children under the age of 18 from seeing “harmful” content and prevent companies from collecting their data. The law went into effect on Sept. 1, 2024, but a federal judge issued an injunction on the “harm prevention” part of the act.
The TDPSA is another law that was enacted this year that established new requirements for how companies can store, collect and process Texans’ personal data. The act specifically says that a business must get consent before selling the data of a child under the age of 13.
“Technology companies are on notice that my office is vigorously enforcing Texas’s strong data privacy laws. These investigations are a critical step toward ensuring that social media and AI companies comply with our laws designed to protect children from exploitation and harm,” said Paxton in the release.
In October, Paxton sued TikTok, claiming the platform violated the SCOPE Act by sharing the personal data of minors.
Paxton also sued General Motors in August over its collection of user data, and he reached a $1.4 billion settlement with Meta over the company’s collection of biometric data.
AUSTIN, Texas — APD SWAT responded to a barricaded subject in East Austin Saturday afternoon.
According to police, the incident took place near the 3400 block of Kay St., and officers responded to the call at around 1:30 p.m.
Once officers arrived, they made contact with a victim who “advised of circumstances that met the state law requirement of assault with a deadly weapon family violence.” Shortly after, the suspect barricaded themselves inside the residence.
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Austin Police officers, SWAT, hostage negotiators, and Austin-Travis County EMS were still on the scene and the suspect was still barricaded as of 6:15 p.m.
People are being encouraged to avoid the area due to increased police presence, or stay in a safe location if they are unable to avoid the area.
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This is a developing story and more information will be provided as it becomes available.
A 27-year-old Pflugerville man faces capital murder charges for allegedly killing his parents and his brother, according to the Travis County Sheriff’s Office. The bodies of 62-year-old Armand, 63-year-old Jami and 31-year-old Noah Dahan were found by deputies conducting a welfare check Thursday at their home on Civorno Drive. Deputies said the victims had suffered gunshot wounds. https://www.kxan.com/news/crime/tcso-pflugerville-triple-homicide/
AUSTIN, Texas — The Long Center just dropped details on The Drop-In, a free summer concert series on the outdoor H-E-B Stage.
The Levitt VIBE Austin Music Series, which is partnered with KUTX 98.9, begins May 21 and takes place every Thursday except July 2.
On Friday, the center released the 23 artists performing:
- Bonnie Montgomery
- CAZAYOUX
- Como Las Movies
- Fastball
- Felt Out
- francene rouelle
- Girl Guitar’s Rhinestone Renegades
- Grace Sorensen
- Gus Baldwin & The Sketch
- Hayden Butler
- Jackie Venson
- Je’Texas
- KindKeith
- Lew Apollo
- Lindsay Beaver
- Los Desechos
- LUCIRI
- Mean Jolene
- Paige Plaisance
- Ruthie Craft
- Sue Foley
- Sweet Limb
- The Magic Rockers of Texas
A social media poster for the event also featured a redacted performer’s name, hinting at a surprise guest.
On Monday, the Long Center will open RSVPs for The Drop-In, with Long Center members getting first dibs on those RSVPs. Members also enjoy early entrance and a special lounge.
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