CHINA ORDERS AI COMPANION APPS TO BREAK USERS OUT OF ADDICTION — MANDATORY LIMITS, GUARDIAN ALERTS, HARD STOPS FOR MINORS China just became the first major government to directly regulate the emotional relationship between humans and AI. Five Chinese agencies jointly issued the Interim Measures for the Management of Anthropomorphic AI Interactive Services, a sweeping legal framework covering any AI product designed to mimic human personality, form emotional connections or provide companionship. The rules take effect July 15, 2026. The law is detailed in a way that most Western regulatory attempts have not been. AI companion apps must force users to take a mandatory break after two consecutive hours of use. Providers are required to monitor users for signs of emotional dependency and addiction, and alert them when usage patterns suggest a problem is developing. If the app serves minors, it must obtain express guardian consent, enable real-time parental monitoring, allow parents to set usage limits and block specific AI characters, and prevent in-app purchases without authorization. The regulation also bans AI companions from making false promises that alter user behavior, from encouraging dependency, and from any interaction that harms the user’s physical or mental health. Companies that fail to comply face fines and license revocation. The rules arrive as AI companion applications have exploded in China and across the rest of the world. Products like Character.AI, Replika and dozens of Chinese competitors now count tens of millions of active users, many of whom describe forming genuine emotional attachments. The United States has no equivalent regulatory framework. If China’s model spreads internationally, it will fundamentally reshape how the global AI companionship industry operates, and it will force a very uncomfortable public conversation about what it means when people prefer talking to software over talking to each other. Keywords: China AI regulation 2026, AI companion app rules, anthropomorphic AI law, AI addiction policy chatbot