China's anthropomorphic services rules take effect
The Interim Measures for the Administration of Anthropomorphic Artificial Intelligence Interaction Services, issued by five bodies on 10 April, came into force on 15 July.
Why it matters
A binding national rulebook aimed specifically at AI companions, rather than at generated content or high-risk systems, came into force in China; no source read says whether any other country has one.
The measures - Order No. 21 - were adopted on 2 February 2026 and issued on 10 April 2026 jointly by five bodies: the Cyberspace Administration of China, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Public Security and the State Administration for Market Regulation. Article 32 sets the commencement: the measures take effect on 15 July 2026. Providers of anthropomorphic interaction services must establish management systems covering algorithm mechanism review, science and technology ethics review, information content management, network and data security, risk contingency plans and emergency response. Article 16 requires providers to give users options to copy and delete their interaction data.