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ARTICLE · 20 APRIL 2026

Washington State Enacts First-of-Its-Kind Chatbot Disclosure Law

K&L Gates
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Washington State Governor Bob Ferguson recently signed House Bill 2225 (the Chatbot Disclosure Act) into law, effective 1 January 2027. The Chatbot Disclosure Act requires people and entities who operate...

United StatesTechnology
Nicole H. Buckley
Nicole H. Buckley
Whitney E. McCollum
Whitney E. McCollum

Washington State Governor Bob Ferguson recently signed House Bill 2225 (the Chatbot Disclosure Act) into law, effective 1 January 2027. The Chatbot Disclosure Act requires people and entities who operate AI "companion" chatbots to provide clear and ongoing disclosure to Washington consumers that they are interacting with an automated system and not a human being.

Key Provisions

Under the Chatbot Disclosure Act, a "companion" chatbot is defined as an AI system that simulates human responses and can sustain a relationship with users across multiple interactions. The law applies to all people and entities operating "companion" chatbots in Washington State.

To comply with the Chatbot Disclosure Act, "companion" chatbot operators must provide a clear and ongoing disclosure that users are communicating with an automated system. Specifically, "companion" chatbot operators have an obligation to disclose that the chatbot is "artificially generated and not human" at the beginning of each

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