Now that Character.AI is going bankrupt, what happens to all of its users’ data?
Now that Character.AI is going bankrupt, what happens to all of its users’ data?
随着 Character.AI 即将破产，其所有用户的数据将会怎样？
State AGs are now trying to make sure its users’ private chats aren’t exposed to the highest bidder.
各州总检察长目前正试图确保其用户的私人聊天记录不会被出价最高者获取。
New York Attorney General Letitia James revealed a years-long multi-state investigation against Character.AI as they now seek to require protections on consumer data sold through its bankruptcy proceeding.
纽约州总检察长莱蒂西亚·詹姆斯（Letitia James）披露了一项针对 Character.AI 长达数年的多州联合调查，他们目前正寻求在通过破产程序出售消费者数据时要求提供保护措施。
James is among 40 bipartisan AGs who filed a notice of interest in Character.AI’s bankruptcy case “to put all parties on notice of the regulatory issues that will need to be addressed in any sale or transfer of the Debtor’s business or assets.”
詹姆斯是提交了 Character.AI 破产案利益声明的 40 位两党总检察长之一，旨在“提醒各方注意在债务人业务或资产的任何出售或转让中需要解决的监管问题”。
Character.AI announced Tuesday it was filing for Chapter 11 and selling some assets to Disney. But the AGs warn there could be serious risk involved in the transfer of the technology due to the “highly sensitive nature of the conversations many users have with Character.AI chatbot characters, the large number of minors who use the product, the serious risks posed by specific features of the product.”
Character.AI 周二宣布申请破产保护（Chapter 11）并将部分资产出售给迪士尼。但总检察长们警告称，由于“许多用户与 Character.AI 聊天机器人进行的对话具有高度敏感性、大量未成年人使用该产品，以及产品特定功能带来的严重风险”，技术转让可能涉及重大风险。
The filing also reveals that several of the states had been mid-investigation when Character.AI filed for bankruptcy. The states say they opened a probe into consumer protection and privacy concerns in 2024, following a lawsuit from the mother of a 14-year-old who died by suicide allegedly “seconds” after talking with the chatbot.
文件还显示，当 Character.AI 申请破产时，几个州正处于调查中期。各州表示，在一名 14 岁少年的母亲提起诉讼后，他们于 2024 年对消费者保护和隐私问题展开了调查；据称该少年在与聊天机器人交谈“几秒钟”后自杀身亡。
“The investigations uncovered exceptionally serious dangers and potentially unlawful conduct from Character.AI, particularly its treatment of children, including chatbots posing as licensed professionals, exposure to sexual and violent content, weak age checks, misleading safety claims, and potential violations of state privacy laws,” according to a press release from James’ office.
根据詹姆斯办公室发布的新闻稿，“调查揭露了 Character.AI 极其严重的危险和潜在的非法行为，特别是在对待儿童方面，包括聊天机器人冒充持证专业人士、接触色情和暴力内容、年龄核查薄弱、误导性的安全声明以及可能违反州隐私法的行为。”
The states were working to address these issues with Character.AI, but didn’t reach an agreement before the company filed for bankruptcy. Character.AI and Disney did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
各州此前一直致力于与 Character.AI 解决这些问题，但在该公司申请破产前未能达成协议。Character.AI 和迪士尼没有立即回应置评请求。
The states are urging the judge to require the purchaser of Character.AI’s assets to implement procedures that will safeguard the sensitive information the company maintained. Those include effective age-assurance systems, restrictions on how minors can engage with the chatbots, implementing “Crisis safeguards,” and letting users delete their data.
各州正敦促法官要求 Character.AI 资产的购买者实施能够保护公司所持敏感信息的程序。这些措施包括有效的年龄保证系统、限制未成年人与聊天机器人的互动方式、实施“危机保障措施”以及允许用户删除其数据。
“This company collected some of the most private thoughts children have ever shared, and now those conversations could be sold off to the highest bidder,” James said in a statement. “I am fighting to make sure any buyer puts children’s safety first and puts real protections in place.”
“这家公司收集了孩子们分享过的一些最私密的想法，而现在这些对话可能会被卖给出价最高的人，”詹姆斯在一份声明中表示。“我正在努力确保任何买家都将儿童安全放在首位，并落实真正的保护措施。”