The law on a chat transcript
CIPA chat wiretap claims and other US rules on a transcript
Updated
A chat is a written electronic communication, so the wiretap and stored-communications rules reach it as well as the privacy laws.
Reading a chat in transit
California Penal Code 631 covers anyone who, without the consent of all parties, reads or learns the contents of a communication while it is in transit or being sent.
A chat is an electronic communication
Federal law at 18 U.S.C. 2510 defines an electronic communication to include any transfer of writing, and its contents as any information about the substance, purport or meaning of the communication.
A provider passing stored chats on
The Stored Communications Act, 18 U.S.C. 2702, bars a provider of an electronic communication service to the public from knowingly divulging stored contents, unless an exception applies such as the lawful consent of the sender or recipient.
Children's chats and bots
The COPPA rule asks for verifiable parental consent before personal information from children is collected, used or disclosed, and California's bot statute asks for a clear disclosure that a bot is a bot.