Center for AI and Digital Policy urges Alabama to set legal 'red lines' for children online

Dr. Caroline Friedman Levy, senior policy fellow at the Center for AI and Digital Policy, told the commission that Alabama is "further along" than most states on AI protections for children but should set firm legal red lines rather than guidelines.

Friedman Levy listed recommended red lines for state lawmakers: prohibit designs built to create dependency or addiction in minors; bar sexualized or self-harm content directed at children; require conspicuous disclosure that users are interacting with AI and default to a protected minors mode with usage limits and guardian controls; and ban the sale or transfer of children's behavioral or neural data with limited carve-outs for requested health or educational services.

"When a design choice pits a child's well-being against engagement or revenue, the duty must resolve in the child's favor," she said, advocating that developers bear a duty of care and that states clarify liability rather than leaving families to prove harms after the fact.

Christabel Randolph, associate director at the Center for AI and Digital Policy, emphasized enforcement models and technical capacity, citing the eSafety Commissioner in Australia and joint Ofcom/ICO oversight in the U.K. as examples. She recommended civil enforcement (often by the attorney general) paired with in-house or technical offices to assess compliance and support monitoring.

Friedman Levy also recommended prohibition or tight limits on personalized reward mechanics that replicate gambling-like variable rewards, noting those features can exploit developmental vulnerabilities in young adults.

Commission members said they would review state models and evidence and schedule follow-up sessions with legal experts on children's rights and education officials to inform the commission's report.