Texas Sues OpenAI, Seeks ChatGPT Restrictions for Minors

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman on Oct. 23, 2026, alleging that the company misled users about ChatGPT’s safety and failed to protect minors. The state’s complaint invokes Texas consumer-protection and child-safety laws, arguing that existing age checks and optional parental controls are inadequate; it cites alleged harms involving young users as examples. Texas is asking the court to restrict minors’ access until safeguards such as age verification and parental controls are in place, and seeks independent review of future models and civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation. The case follows lawsuits filed by eight other states on Oct. 14 and an earlier Florida case, as state officials intensify scrutiny of AI companies’ protections for children. The allegations have not been proven, and ChatGPT is not currently banned in Texas; a court would have to grant the requested measures.