Connecticut enacts Online Safety Act with broad AI rules

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont has signed the Online Safety Act, Public Act No. 26-15, establishing a wide-ranging regulatory framework for artificial intelligence and online platforms.

The law is scheduled to take effect on October 1, 2026. Its provisions cover consumer-facing AI subscriptions, AI companions and automated employment-related decision technology.

For AI companions, the act mandates risk detection protocols and places restrictions on interactions with minors. In employment contexts, it requires transparency and notice for applicants and employees when automated decision technology is used.

The measure positions Connecticut among states taking a more active role in AI governance. The research notes similar legislative efforts in Illinois and describes the Connecticut law as part of a growing U.S. trend toward regulating frontier AI models and related technologies.

The breadth of the act reflects the expanding policy focus on AI systems that interact directly with consumers, children and workers, as state governments move to set rules for transparency, safety and accountability in the absence of a single nationwide framework.