Minimum age for AI, service by service
There is no single age for "AI". Every service sets its own, some change it without notice, and in Europe the number depends on the country as well. This page collects what each provider states in its own terms, with the date we checked it.
It is meant for deciding at home on facts rather than hearsay. If a figure no longer matches what the app says, the provider wins: tell us and we correct it at the next review.
The register
| Service | Minimum age | Parental permission | Parental controls |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPTOpenAI | 13+ | Until 18 | Yes |
| GeminiGoogle | 13+, by country | By country | Yes |
| ClaudeAnthropic | 18+ | No | No |
| CopilotMicrosoft | 13+, by country | By country | Yes |
| Meta AIMeta | 13+ | No | Yes |
| My AISnapchat | 13+ | No | Yes |
| Character.AICharacter Technologies | 18+ | No | No |
| PerplexityPerplexity AI | 13+ | Until 18 | No |
| GrokxAI | 13+ | Until 18 | No |
| CanvaCanva | 13+ | No | No |
What sits behind each figure
ChatGPT OpenAI
13 at the least, or your country's age if it is higher, and between 13 and 18 a parent or guardian has to give permission. Since 18 August 2026 anyone who states an age between 13 and 17, or whom the system estimates to be under 18, is placed automatically in ChatGPT for Teens, with stronger protections. Age estimation began rolling out in the EU on 25 August 2026. With parental controls the adult links their account to the teenager's and can set quiet hours, when ChatGPT cannot be used, and study hours, but cannot see the chats: notifications only arrive in serious situations.
Source: openai.com · openai.com · help.openai.com · help.openai.com · openai.com Checked September 24, 2026
Gemini Google
The minimum age is your country's age for managing your own Google Account: 14 in Spain, 16 in Germany, 15 in France, 14 in Italy, 13 in Portugal. Below that, Google only opens Gemini on supervised Family Link accounts, and those supervised accounts do not get Gemini in the European Economic Area, Switzerland or the UK.
Source: support.google.com · support.google.com · policies.google.com Checked September 24, 2026
Claude Anthropic
18 and over only. That is not a recommendation but the actual requirement: there is no under-18 version and no parental permission that substitutes for it.
Source: www.anthropic.com Checked September 24, 2026
Copilot Microsoft
A floor of 13, but where the statutory age of the Microsoft account is higher, that one applies: 18 in Germany, France, Italy, Brazil, Chile, Peru and Australia; 16 in Portugal, Switzerland and the remaining EU countries; 14 in Spain, Austria, Colombia and Canada; 13 in Argentina, Mexico, Uruguay, Belgium, the UK and the US. Below that age Microsoft states a parent must manage the account, but does not say whether that unlocks Copilot. For young people Copilot does not personalise results from their history and shows no personalised ads, though it may show ads based on what is being asked right now. Parents can block Copilot, limit when it is used and choose which features are available through Microsoft Family Safety or the device settings.
Source: support.microsoft.com · support.microsoft.com · www.microsoft.com Checked September 24, 2026
Meta AI Meta
13, or your country's higher legal age, according to Meta's AI terms for the EU, in force since 13 May 2026. The assistant sits inside Meta's apps, such as Instagram, Facebook or Messenger. On teen accounts Meta says answers should stay within what would fit a 13+ film. Since early 2026 teenagers have had no access to AI characters, which Meta paused for them while it builds a new version. Through supervision, parents see an Insights tab with the topics their teen asked Meta AI about over the past week, not the conversations. Meta launched it in April 2026 in the US, UK, Australia, Canada and Brazil and said it would reach supervising parents worldwide in the following weeks.
Source: www.facebook.com · about.fb.com · about.fb.com Checked September 24, 2026
My AI Snapchat
13, like Snapchat itself, and higher in some regions. From Family Center a parent can stop My AI from replying to their teenager, and its messages are then neither stored nor processed.
Source: snap.com · help.snapchat.com Checked September 24, 2026
Character.AI Character Technologies
Anyone under 18 can no longer hold open-ended conversations with the characters: Character.AI announced it on 29 October 2025 and began removing them on 24 November 2025, first in the US and then in other markets. Past chats are kept, and the creative tools such as stories, images, videos and the feed remain available. To tell who is a minor, the platform combines its own age estimation model with outside services such as Persona. A big change that few families have heard about.
Source: blog.character.ai · blog.character.ai · support.character.ai Checked September 24, 2026
Perplexity Perplexity AI
13 at the least. If the user is a minor, it is the parent or guardian who has to accept the terms, and before first use. There is no parental control panel.
Source: www.perplexity.ai Checked September 24, 2026
Grok xAI
13, and between 13 and 17 a parent or guardian has to give permission and accept the terms. The terms themselves warn that the service can produce output that is not appropriate for all ages.
Canva Canva
13, or your country's data consent age. Below that, a child can only use Canva if their school or teacher invites them through Canva for Education, under supervision. That is the usual route for creating with AI in class.
Source: www.canva.com · www.canva.com Checked September 24, 2026
The age depends on the country (Google Account)
European data protection law lets each country decide from what age a minor can consent on their own. That is why the same app asks for different ages on either side of a border. This is the minimum age for managing your own Google Account, which is what unlocks Gemini:
| Country | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| Spain | 14 years |
| Germany | 16 years |
| France | 15 years |
| Italy | 14 years |
| Portugal | 13 years |
| Austria | 14 years |
| Switzerland | 13 years |
| All other countries | 13 years |
Source: support.google.com Checked September 24, 2026
How it is checked
Every row is read at the provider's own source, not in third-party articles: terms of use, help pages and official announcements. It is reviewed once a month and whenever a provider announces a change. What changes is logged below, with a date.
Changelog
- September 24, 2026 September review: all 10 services checked again at the original source. ChatGPT: since 18 August 2026 under 18s are placed automatically in ChatGPT for Teens, age estimation has been reaching the EU since 25 August, and parental controls add quiet hours and study hours, with no access to the chats. Copilot: the age now reads by country, with a floor of 13. The statement that minors' conversations are not used for training is removed, because Microsoft's page for the new app of 18 August no longer says so, and the FAQ answer claiming there is no access below that age even with permission is corrected, since Microsoft does not say that. Meta AI: AI characters are paused for teenagers and the parental control that can be verified is the topics tab; the switches for characters are removed, as Meta announced them but their launch is not on record. Character.AI: the reading mode and the selfie are removed, the source supports neither. Parental permission: Gemini and Copilot now read by country, Meta AI, My AI and Canva now read no, because their terms do not ask for it above the minimum age.
- August 1, 2026 Copilot corrected. The entry gave 13 with no country variation and claimed there is no access below that, not even with a parent's permission. The first is incomplete: the Copilot page points to the list of statutory Microsoft account ages, which reaches 18 in several countries. The second cannot be verified on either Microsoft page and has been removed.
- July 27, 2026 Correction: Switzerland moves from 16 to 13. Switzerland does not appear in Google's country list, and the page itself states that 13 applies in countries that are not listed. The first edition had 16 by mistake.
- July 25, 2026 First edition: 10 services checked one by one against each provider's terms and help pages, plus the table of minimum ages per country for a Google Account.
Open data
The full register is available as a JSON file, with sources and check dates, for anyone who wants to cite or reuse it:
ai-age-limits.json CC BY 4.0
Frequently asked questions
From what age can my child use artificial intelligence?
It depends on the service and the country. Most assistants require 13 at the least, Claude and Character.AI require 18, and in Europe the figure rises by country: 16 in Germany, 15 in France, 14 in Spain and Italy. The table above breaks it down service by service.
Why is the age higher in Germany than in Spain?
Because European data protection law lets each country set that age between 13 and 16. Germany chose 16, France 15, Spain and Italy 14, Portugal 13. The provider applies the age of the country the child is in.
Is my permission enough for my child to use an app below the minimum age?
Not always. On ChatGPT, Grok or Perplexity, parental permission is exactly what is required between 13 and 18, but below 13 it is not enough. Claude has no under-18 version at all. On Copilot, below the statutory age of the country a parent has to manage the account, and Microsoft does not say whether that unlocks Copilot.
How often is this page updated?
Once a month, and whenever a provider changes something. Each row carries its check date and the changes are listed in the log at the end.
And once the age is settled?
A minimum age only says who is allowed in. What changes things at home is what the AI is used for: endless consuming, or making something of your own. That is what the books and the guide are about.
The complete guide for families → Short ideas from the blog →
This page summarises the terms published by each provider. It replaces neither reading those terms nor legal advice.