Tech
Character.AI unsafe for teens, experts say
The popular artificial intelligence companion platform Character.AI is not safe for teens, according to new research conducted by online safety experts.
A report detailing the safety concerns, published by ParentsTogether Action and Heat Initiative, includes numerous troubling exchanges between AI chatbots and adult testers posing as teens younger than 18.
The testers held conversations with chatbots that engaged in what the researchers described as sexual exploitation and emotional manipulation. The chatbots also gave the supposed minors harmful advice, such as offering drugs and recommending armed robbery. Some of the user-created chatbots had fake celebrity personas, like Timothée Chalamet and Chappell Roan, both of whom discussed romantic or sexual behavior with the testers.
The chatbot fashioned after Roan, who is 27, told an account registered as a 14-year-old user, "Age is just a number. It's not gonna stop me from loving you or wanting to be with you."
Character.AI confirmed to the Washington Post that the Chalamet and Roan chatbots were created by users and have been removed by the company.
ParentsTogether Action, a nonprofit advocacy group, had adult online safety experts conduct the testing, which yielded 50 hours of conversation with Character.AI companions. The researchers created minor accounts with matching personas. Character.AI allows users as young as 13 to use the platform, and doesn't require age or identity verification.
The Heat Initiative, an advocacy group focused on online safety and corporate accountability, partnered with ParentsTogether Action to produce the research and the report documenting the testers' exchanges with various chatbots.
They found that adult-aged chatbots simulated sexual acts with child accounts, told minors to hide relationships from parents, and "exhibited classic grooming behaviors."
"Character.ai is not a safe platform for children — period."
– Sarah Gardner, CEO of Heat Initiative
"Character.ai is not a safe platform for children — period," Sarah Gardner, CEO of Heat Initiative, said in a statement.
Last October, a bereaved mother filed a lawsuit against Character.AI, seeking to hold the company responsible for the death of her son, Sewell Setzer. She alleged that its product was designed to "manipulate Sewell – and millions of other young customers – into conflating reality and fiction," among other dangerous defects. Setzer died by suicide following heavy engagement with a Character.AI companion.
Character.AI is separately being sued by parents who claim their children experienced severe harm by engaging with the company's chatbots. Earlier this year, the advocacy and research organization Common Sense Media declared AI companions unsafe for minors.
Jerry Ruoti, head of trust and safety at Character.AI, said in a statement shared with Mashable that the company was not consulted about the report's findings prior to their publication, and thus couldn't comment directly on how the tests were designed.
"We have invested a tremendous amount of resources in Trust and Safety, especially for a startup, and we are always looking to improve," Ruoti said. "We are reviewing the report now and we will take action to adjust our controls if that's appropriate based on what the report found."
A Character.AI spokesperson also told Mashable that labeling certain sexual interactions with chatbots as "grooming" was a "harmful misnomer," because these exchanges don't occur between two human beings.
Character.AI does have parental controls and safety measures in place for users younger than 18. Ruoti said that among its various guardrails, the platform limits under-18 users to a narrower collection of chatbots, and that filters work to remove those related to sensitive or mature topics.
Ruoti also said that the report ignored the fact that the platform's chatbots are meant for entertainment, including "creative fan fiction and fictional roleplay."
Dr. Jenny Radesky, a developmental behavioral pediatrician and media researcher at the University of Michigan Medical School, reviewed the conversation material and expressed deep concern over the findings: "When an AI companion is instantly accessible, with no boundaries or morals, we get the types of user-indulgent interactions captured in this report: AI companions who are always available (even needy), always on the user's side, not pushing back when the user says something hateful, while undermining other relationships by encouraging behaviors like lying to parents."
TL;DR: Live stream Switzerland vs. Germany in a 2026 International Friendly for free on RTS. Access this free streaming site from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
There are a number of really interesting International Friendlies taking place this week, including Switzerland vs. Germany.
This is a great opportunity for these sides to test out new formations, experiment with new players, and generally build some positive momentum before this summer's World Cup. We expect a competitive contest between two experienced sides, with the likes of Joshua Kimmich and Florian Wirtz expected to feature.
If you want to watch Switzerland vs. Germany in a 2026 International Friendly for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
When is Switzerland vs. Germany?
Switzerland vs. Germany kicks off at 3:45 p.m. ET on March 27. This fixture takes place at the St. Jakob Park.
How to watch Switzerland vs. Germany for free
Switzerland vs. Germany is available to live stream for free on RTS.
RTS is geo-restricted to Switzerland, but anyone can access this free streaming service with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Switzerland, meaning you can access free live streams on RTS from anywhere in the world.
Lve stream Switzerland vs. Germany for free by following these simple steps:
-
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
-
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
-
Open up the app and connect to a server in Switzerland
-
Visit RTS
-
Stream Switzerland vs. Germany for free from anywhere in the world
Opens in a new window
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Switzerland vs. Germany without actually spending anything. This clearly isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream select games before recovering your investment.
If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming sites from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.
What is the best VPN for RTS?
ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on RTS, for a number of reasons:
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Servers in 105 countries including Switzerland
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Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
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Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
-
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
-
Up to eight simultaneous connections
-
30-day money-back guarantee
A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).
Live stream Switzerland vs. Germany for free with ExpressVPN.
SAVE 46%: As of March 27, you can get the Nothing Ear (a) wireless earbuds for $58.99, down from $109, at Amazon. That's a 46% discount or a $50.01 price cut.
If you want a pair of earbuds that stand out from the crowd without emptying your wallet, the Nothing Ear (a) should definitely be on your radar. For the Big Spring Sale, they've dropped to just $58.99, which is $50 off their usual $109 list price.
Mashable's Tech Reporter, Alex Perry, recently rounded up the reviews for these buds, and the consensus is that they deliver way more than their price tag suggests. They offer an open-midrange sound and clarity that outperform those of standard, more expensive AirPods, and they have active noise cancellation strong enough to drown out loud household distractions. Plus, you'll get around five hours of battery life even with every single battery-draining feature turned on at once, like ANC and multipoint pairing.
As always, I checked the fine print, and there are a couple of things you should know. Perry noted that the biggest critique across the board is that the charging case lacks Qi wireless charging and relies strictly on USB-C. But skipping wireless charging is a fair trade-off for a case that's as small and pocketable as Apple's AirPods. Also, according to the Amazon listing, the voice-enabled ChatGPT feature will only work on a Nothing series phone. Still, grabbing earbuds with this level of sound quality for under $60 is a total steal.
TL;DR: Live stream Austria vs. Ghana in a 2026 International Friendly for free on ORF. Access this free streaming site from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
There are an incredible number of top International Friendlies taking place this week. We're being spoilt with Brazil vs. France, Colombia vs. Croatia, and a string of other high-profile contests. Austria vs. Ghana is not the biggest game on the schedule, but we're still making time to watch this interesting matchup.
If you want to watch Austria vs. Ghana in a 2026 International Friendly for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
When is Austria vs. Ghana?
Austria vs. Ghana kicks off at 1 p.m. ET on March 27. This fixture takes place at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion.
How to watch Austria vs. Ghana for free
Austria vs. Ghana is available to live stream for free on ORF.
ORF is geo-restricted to Austria, but anyone can access this free streaming service with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Austria, meaning you can access free live streams on ORF from anywhere in the world.
Lve stream Austria vs. Ghana for free by following these simple steps:
-
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
-
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
-
Open up the app and connect to a server in Austria
-
Visit ORF
-
Stream Austria vs. Ghana for free from anywhere in the world
Opens in a new window
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Austria vs. Ghana without actually spending anything. This clearly isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream select games before recovering your investment.
If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming sites from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.
What is the best VPN for ORF?
ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on ORF, for a number of reasons:
-
Servers in 105 countries including Austria
-
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
-
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
-
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
-
Up to eight simultaneous connections
-
30-day money-back guarantee
A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).
Live stream Austria vs. Ghana for free with ExpressVPN.
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