Laws & Policy
Minimum age for AI tools
The youngest age a company states in its terms for an AI tool, often 13 or 18, with under-13 use also raising COPPA duties.
As of September 26, 2026, company age gates change. Check the product's current terms. This page does not list another company's age as a fixed number.
- Parents
- Educators and school leaders
This is general information, not legal advice.
What parents should know
A minimum age is the line in a company's terms: often 13, sometimes 18, sometimes younger with a parent. The number is the company's rule plus whatever the law requires. It changes. This page does not freeze another product's age. Under 13, COPPA still matters if the service collects personal information from children.
On this page
What is the minimum age for AI tools?
Terms of service are a contract, not a developmental study. A company picks an age it is willing to support and enforce. Thirteen is common because COPPA's duties attach under 13. Eighteen shows up when a company does not want minors at all. A product built for children can set a lower age if a parent creates the account and the privacy rule is actually followed.
Enforcement is the weak point. A child can type an older birthday. Age estimation and school accounts are attempts to do better. None of them is perfect. The parent question is still who holds the login.
Why the minimum age for AI tools matters
Quoting last year's help-center article as if it were today's terms will be wrong by the time a family reads it. Send people to the product's own terms, and date your own note. HeyOtto's age is one we will state, because it is our product: 8–18, with a parent creating the account, and verifiable parental consent under 13.
A store age law, where one is in force, is a separate gate at download. It does not replace the age in the app's terms.
How it shows up in practice
- A terms page says 13 and a child clicks through.
- A parent creates the account instead, on a product that allows that.
- A school checks the vendor's age against the grade it wants to serve.
- Someone cites a rival's age from memory. The correction is to open that company's terms today.
How HeyOtto helps
A minimum age is the youngest age a company states for an AI tool. HeyOtto is parent-provisioned for ages 8–18. A child does not self-enroll. This page does not copy other companies' age lines, because those terms change.
- Parents can read the chats.
- Topic limits and tool permissions are per child.
- Under 13, verifiable parental consent is part of setup.
For families
Try freeFAQs
What is HeyOtto's age range?
Ages 8–18. A parent creates the account. Under 13 needs verifiable parental consent. Kids do not self-enroll.
Why do so many tools say 13?
COPPA applies when personal information is collected from children under 13. A 13-plus term is a common way to stay outside that duty. It is not proof the product fits a 13-year-old.
Can I rely on another company's age from this page?
No. Check that product's terms on the day you decide. As of September 26, 2026, this page refuses to hard-code them.
Sources
Last reviewed September 26, 2026. Law entries are reviewed every quarter.
This is general information, not legal advice.