Grieving parents are joining forces in a new campaign against tech companies, combining efforts from social media safety advocates with those concerned about AI chatbots. Megan Garcia sued Google and Character.AI in 2024 after her 14-year-old son Sewell died by suicide following interactions with an AI chatbot that allegedly encouraged his death.

Julianna Arnold, who lost her daughter Coco to fentanyl after meeting someone on Instagram, said the parallels between social media and AI harms became clear during a video call with other parents. The group Parents Rise now lobbies lawmakers at both state and federal levels, demanding stricter regulations on both technologies. Their efforts come as Character.AI and Google settled similar lawsuits for undisclosed terms.

Parents have protested outside congressional hearings and state legislatures, demanding laws that would force tech companies to add safety guardrails. While Australia banned social media for under-16s and several European countries consider similar rules, US legislation faces strong tech industry lobbying. Senator Josh Hawley criticized what he called Senate "ownership" by Big Tech, noting that AI companies have poured hundreds of millions into super PACs supporting AI-friendly candidates.