In a first, federal regulators ban messaging app from hosting minors [Video]

Federal regulators have for the first time banned a digital platform from serving users under 18, accusing the app – known as NGL – of exaggerating its ability to use artificial intelligence to curb cyberbullying in a groundbreaking settlement.

An app popular among children and teens, NGL aggressively marketed to young users despite risks of bullying on the anonymous messaging site, the Federal Trade Commission and the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office alleged in a complaint unveiled Tuesday.

The complaint alleged that NGL tricked users into paying for subscriptions by sending them computer-generated messages appearing to be from real people and offering a service for as much as $9.99 a week to find out their real identity. People who signed up received only “hints” of those identities, whether they were real or not, enforcers said.

After users complained about the “bait-and switch tactic,” executives at the company “laughed off” their …