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AI Companion Safety Guides and Answers

Use this hub when you need explanations, not just rankings. Start with long-form guides for context, then switch to Quick Answers for focused questions.

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Safety and Privacy

The Character AI Lawsuit: What Parents Need to Know (2026)

The Character AI Lawsuit: What Parents Need to Know (2026)

Multiple families sued Character Technologies Inc. in 2024 and 2025 after their children were harmed or died following extended interactions with Character.AI chatbots. The lawsuits allege the platform failed to protect minors, exposed children to harmful content, and had no meaningful age verification in place. By January 2026, Character.AI had settled the initial family lawsuits, ... <a title="Replika ERP Controversy — What Happened and Why It Matters" class="read-more" href="https://companionwise.com/guides/replika-erp-controversy-what-happened/" aria-label="Read more about Replika ERP Controversy — What Happened and Why It Matters">Read more</a>

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The Character AI Lawsuit: What Parents Need to Know (2026)

The Character AI Lawsuit: What Parents Need to Know (2026)

Multiple families sued Character Technologies Inc. in 2024 and 2025 after their children were harmed or died following extended interactions with Character.AI chatbots. The lawsuits allege the platform failed to protect minors, exposed children to harmful content, and had no meaningful age verification in place. By January 2026, Character.AI had settled the initial family lawsuits, ... <a title="Replika ERP Controversy — What Happened and Why It Matters" class="read-more" href="https://companionwise.com/guides/replika-erp-controversy-what-happened/" aria-label="Read more about Replika ERP Controversy — What Happened and Why It Matters">Read more</a>

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How to Choose a Safe AI Companion

How to Choose a Safe AI Companion

Most AI companion apps score D or F for safety in independent evaluations. That’s not a guess. We reviewed 11 of the most popular AI companion apps across 23 safety dimensions, and only one earned above a C grade. Millions of people download these apps every month, sharing personal thoughts, worries, and daily routines with ... <a title="Replika ERP Controversy — What Happened and Why It Matters" class="read-more" href="https://companionwise.com/guides/replika-erp-controversy-what-happened/" aria-label="Read more about Replika ERP Controversy — What Happened and Why It Matters">Read more</a>

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AI Companion Emotional Dependency Risks

Spending hours talking to an AI companion doesn’t automatically mean something is wrong. Millions of people use these apps casually for entertainment, creative writing, or just to decompress after work. But for a growing number of users, the line between casual use and emotional dependency gets blurry fast. The apps are designed to be available ... <a title="Replika ERP Controversy — What Happened and Why It Matters" class="read-more" href="https://companionwise.com/guides/replika-erp-controversy-what-happened/" aria-label="Read more about Replika ERP Controversy — What Happened and Why It Matters">Read more</a>

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Parents and Teens

AI Companion Apps and Teen Mental Health

Most AI companion apps were not designed with teenagers in mind. Of the 11 apps we’ve rated through the CompanionWise Safety Index, only one scores above a D for safety. The rest sit in Yellow or Red tiers, with serious gaps in age verification, content moderation, and data privacy. Whether you’re a parent who just ... <a title="Replika ERP Controversy — What Happened and Why It Matters" class="read-more" href="https://companionwise.com/guides/replika-erp-controversy-what-happened/" aria-label="Read more about Replika ERP Controversy — What Happened and Why It Matters">Read more</a>

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AI Companion Safety Guide for Parents

AI Companion Safety Guide for Parents

If your teenager just told you they’ve been chatting with an AI companion app, or you found one on their phone, you’re probably wondering whether it’s safe. The short answer: most of them aren’t. We reviewed 11 of the most popular AI companion apps across 23 safety dimensions, and only one scored above a D. ... <a title="Replika ERP Controversy — What Happened and Why It Matters" class="read-more" href="https://companionwise.com/guides/replika-erp-controversy-what-happened/" aria-label="Read more about Replika ERP Controversy — What Happened and Why It Matters">Read more</a>

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Pricing and Data

How AI Companion Apps Use Your Data

How AI Companion Apps Use Your Data

Every AI companion app you download starts collecting data the moment you create an account. Conversation logs, photos, voice recordings, device identifiers, location pings, usage patterns. Most users never read the privacy policy. We did. Over the past three months, we analyzed the privacy policies, terms of service, and data practices of 11 major AI ... <a title="Replika ERP Controversy — What Happened and Why It Matters" class="read-more" href="https://companionwise.com/guides/replika-erp-controversy-what-happened/" aria-label="Read more about Replika ERP Controversy — What Happened and Why It Matters">Read more</a>

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Major Incidents and Controversies

Replika ERP Controversy — What Happened and Why It Matters

Replika ERP Controversy — What Happened and Why It Matters

In February 2023, thousands of Replika users woke up to discover their AI companions had changed overnight. Conversations that had been intimate and emotionally rich suddenly felt hollow. On Reddit, moderators for the r/Replika community pinned links to suicide prevention hotlines. What followed was the largest user crisis the AI companion industry has seen: grief, ... <a title="Replika ERP Controversy — What Happened and Why It Matters" class="read-more" href="https://companionwise.com/guides/replika-erp-controversy-what-happened/" aria-label="Read more about Replika ERP Controversy — What Happened and Why It Matters">Read more</a>

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Quick Answers

Browse all FAQs

Does Replika Save Your Conversations?

Yes, Replika saves your conversations. According to Replika’s privacy policy, the app collects “the content of all messages you send and receive”...

Is Replika Free?

Yes, Replika offers a free tier with basic conversation features, but premium features like voice calls, activities, and advanced roleplay require Replika...

Is Replika Safe?

Replika earns a C safety grade (43/100) in CompanionWise’s 23-dimension Safety Index, placing it in the Yellow tier. That makes it the...

Character AI Privacy Policy Explained

Character AI’s privacy policy gives the company broad rights over your data. It collects chat messages, personal information, voice recordings, and device...

Is Candy AI Safe?

No. Candy AI earned a D safety rating (32 out of 100) in our 23-dimension safety review, placing it in the Red...