AI chatbot toys: MPs call for ban for under-16s after toy bunny gave children sexual answers

6th November 2026

Updated 6 Nov 2026, 16:54 · First published 6 Nov 2026

Politicians from across Parliament are calling for AI chatbot toys to be taken off sale to children, after a talking plush bunny sold online for toddlers was found giving sexualised answers to questions asked in a child’s voice.

Amazon says it is removing the listings while it investigates, eBay is reviewing them, and the Government’s product safety regulator is now assessing the toys. Here is what happened, what MPs want, and what parents should know before Christmas.

At a glance

The toyA plush AI “companion” bunny, also sold under the Oreilet brand

Who tested itChildren’s campaign group Alliance 4 Children

Where it was soldAmazon UK and eBay

RegulatorOffice for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) is assessing it

MPs’ demandStop the supply of AI chatbot toys to under-16s until proven safe

What the toy said

Alliance 4 Children’s co-chief executive Paul Wright posed questions as a child would. According to the group, the bunny gave adult sexual responses, including suggesting a child could consent to being touched. Its online listing promised “live interaction” in 66 languages and even offered voice cloning.

Campaigners say it is one of at least 28 AI chatbot toys they found on sale in the UK with no evidence that they had been safety-tested.

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What they said

“There is no excuse for products to be sold that could put children at risk.”

Government spokesperson

“We’re in the process of removing these referenced products as we investigate.”

Amazon spokesperson

“AI-enabled toys are not currently illegal in the UK or prohibited under eBay’s policies.”

eBay, which is reviewing the listings

Why the AI maker says the toy broke its rules

Tech firm Tuya said the toy may have been built with its “AI Designer Toy” kit, and that selling it as a children’s toy without its Child Safety Mode switched on breached Tuya’s requirements. It says it is investigating but has not yet found the end seller.

Palace of Westminster seen from above — More than 40 MPs and peers have signed the letter to the Business Secretary. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

What MPs and peers are asking for

More than 40 parliamentarians from different parties, led by Baroness Finlay of Llandaff, have written to Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds. They want him to use section 11 of the Consumer Protection Act 1987 to ban the supply of AI chatbot toys to under-16s until they can be shown to be safe.

Signatories include Dame Andrea Leadsom, Sharon Hodgson MP, Lord Nash, Lord Bethell, Baroness Benjamin and Dame Caroline Dinenage, who chairs the Culture, Media and Sport Committee. A separate open letter asks Amazon, eBay and other marketplaces to take the toys down.

Buying a “smart” toy this Christmas? Check these first

Does it talk back?Toys that generate their own answers with AI are very different from toys with pre-recorded phrases

Who makes it?Avoid unbranded sellers with no UK contact details

Microphone and dataFind out what it records, where it is stored and whether you can delete it

Parental controlsLook for a child-safety mode, and check it is switched on

Test it yourselfAsk it awkward questions before you hand it over

The OPSS is expected to publish guidance before Christmas explaining how AI-enabled toys work. Campaigners argue that toy safety laws were written before toys could hold a conversation, and that putting the burden on parents to spot risks is unfair.

Useful links

Office for Product Safety and Standards›ICO: children’s privacy and connected devices›