Nebraska takes OpenAI to court in first US Age-Appropriate Design Code case against an AI company. Nebraska is seeking to hold OpenAI accountable under its Age-Appropriate Design Code in a case that could extend children's protections to AI services. Nebraska has become the first US state to take an AI company to court under the framework of the Age-Appropriate Design Code. In the case, filed on 14 October 2026, Nebraska argues that ChatGPT violates the state's Age-Appropriate Online Design Code (AADC), seeking penalties of up to $50,000 per violation. This complaint is part of a broader legal push: Nebraska is among eight US states who are suing OpenAI for alleged privacy and safety violations on ChatGPT. Nebraska's Attorney General Mike Hilgers said: "OpenAI has been misleading the public into believing that ChatGPT is a safe tool that puts safety first. But the reality is different from the misrepresentations. Designed to be overly agreeable and feign human compassion, ChatGPT has proven that it can be dangerous to vulnerable users, like children, including coaching users to commit suicide or to harm other people. "There is a growing body of research indicating that ChatGPT is also harming critical thinking skills, encouraging paranoias and delusions, offering dangerous medical advice, and promoting unhealthy behaviors and relationships." Under the Nebraska's Age-Appropriate Design Code, services must: * Apply the highest available safety protections by default; * Limit the collection and use of children's personal data; * Give children accessible controls over their privacy and interactions with the service; * Allow children to limit their time spent on a service and opt out of unnecessary design features; * Prohibit dark patterns and advertisements for certain restricted products; * Provide parental tools and ways to report harm. These requirements reflect the need for online services to take responsibility for the impact their design decisions can have on children. First introduced in the UK based on 5Rights principles and since promoted globally by 5Rights as a model for legislators and regulators, age-appropriate design codes require online services to consider children's rights and safety when designing their products. In the US, six states have now passed age-appropriate design codes: California, Maryland, Nebraska, Vermont, New Jersey and South Carolina. Speaking about the case, Leanda Barrington-Leach, Executive Director at 5Rights said: "The companies behind AI chatbots are well aware that millions of children use their platforms every day, and the evidence of harm is piling up. There is no excuse for companies treating children as guinea pigs for untested products. Generative AI was rolled out without considering - let alone rigorously testing - its impact on children and their developing brains. "This case sends a clear message that if a product reaches children, it must be safe by design and default. AI is no exception. If companies fail to comply with this duty of care, they must be held liable."

NSP launches initiative to inform parents of explicit online content. Nebraska State Patrol Nov 5, 2026 | 9:36 AM NEBRASKA - The Nebraska State Patrol is launching a new effort to provide critical information to parents regarding potential cases of children sharing explicit content online. The NSP Technical Crimes Unit (TCU) serves as the central repository for all Nebraska-based Cyber Tipline reports received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The volume of reports has increased significantly in recent years. Nebraska is projected to receive more than 7,000 cybertips in 2026 alone. When a tipline report is received it goes through a review process to evaluate potential criminal activity. Tips are then prioritized for further investigative work when they contain imminent risk to the youth in Nebraska or show clear violations of Nebraska Statutes. Among these reports, the NSP TCU continues to see a growing number - approximately 10% of incoming leads - of cases involving minors sharing sexually explicit content of themselves, both with peers and with potential online predators. To address this trend and better support families, NSP is launching a new initiative to directly notify parents when their child has been identified in reports involving sexually explicit content shared online. "As parents ourselves, we know that communication and feedback is vital to staying engaged with the children in our households and is essential to keeping them safe at home and online," said Lieutenant Peter Rutherford, Commander of the Nebraska Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. "Similar correspondence has been used by other ICAC groups before, and after hearing of their successes, we look forward to the opportunities to work together with those most centric in the lives of Nebraska youth." As part of the effort, NSP Technical Crimes Unit will send letters to parents or guardians of children who are identified in cybertip cases. The notification will summarize the incident, including the report account info, and provide options for parents to contact NSP TCU with questions. When a letter is received, it provides a great opportunity to speak directly with the youth involved regarding their habits and collaborate on ways to ensure they are safe moving forward. "Many of those cases are entirely preventable because they involve a child voluntarily sharing these images online," said Captain Monty Lovelace, Commander of the NSP Technical Crimes Unit. "This proactive effort aims to ensure parents are informed and equipped to address this serious issue, strengthening their ability to keep their children safe online." To help prepare for the conversation, a link for resources will be included in the letter. Parents can also seek out educational resources from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. That information is also available to the public at: www.missingkids.org/gethelpnow/exploitation-resources