US rules that sit on a chat transcript
5 US rules that sit on a chat transcript before it is reused or licensed, read 28 October 2026.
What part of a chat it touches
What it asks before reuse or disclosure
Whether a person can sue
The rule, in its words
Each rule, answer by answer
Each row is one rule. Click an answer to see the sentence behind it, quoted from the statute or rule page with the date we read it. Where it says "not stated", the statute or rule page we read is silent on that question.
| Rule | What part of a chat it touches | What it asks before reuse or disclosure | Whether a person can sue | The rule, in its words |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 CFR Part 312 (COPPA rule) | a child's messages and personal information | verifiable parental consent | not statedNot addressed in 16 CFR Part 312 | Provide a reasonable means for a parent to review the personal information collected from… |
| 18 U.S.C. 2510 | a message read while it is being sent | not statedNot addressed in 18 U.S.C. 2510, definitions | not statedNot addressed in 18 U.S.C. 2510, definitions | "contents", when used with respect to any wire, oral, or electronic communication… |
| 18 U.S.C. 2702 (Stored Communications Act) | the stored contents of a conversation | consent | not statedNot addressed in 18 U.S.C. 2702 | a person or entity providing an electronic communication service to the public shall not… |
| California Business and Professions Code 17941 | whether the other side is a bot | clear disclosure | not statedNot addressed in Business and Professions Code section 17941 | A person using a bot shall not be liable under this section if the person discloses that… |
| California Penal Code 631 | a message read while it is being sent | consent | not statedNot addressed in Penal Code section 631 | or who willfully and without the consent of all parties to the communication, or in any… |
Where each answer was read (20)
- 16 CFR Part 312 (COPPA rule), 16 CFR Part 312, read 2026-10-08, What part of a chat it touches:
verifiable parental consent prior to any collection, use, and/or disclosure of personal information from children
- 16 CFR Part 312 (COPPA rule), 16 CFR Part 312, read 2026-10-08, What it asks before reuse or disclosure:
verifiable parental consent prior to any collection, use, and/or disclosure of personal information from children
- 16 CFR Part 312 (COPPA rule), 16 CFR Part 312, read 2026-10-08, Whether a person can sue: Nothing on this statute or rule page answers it (62,239 characters of statute or rule page text, read 2026-10-08).
- 16 CFR Part 312 (COPPA rule), 16 CFR Part 312, read 2026-10-08, The rule, in its words:
Provide a reasonable means for a parent to review the personal information collected from a child and to refuse to permit its further use or maintenance
- 18 U.S.C. 2510, 18 U.S.C. 2510, definitions, read 2026-10-28, What part of a chat it touches:
"electronic communication" means any transfer of signs, signals, writing, images, sounds, data, or intelligence of any nature
- 18 U.S.C. 2510, 18 U.S.C. 2510, definitions, read 2026-10-28, What it asks before reuse or disclosure: Nothing on this statute or rule page answers it (19,272 characters of statute or rule page text, read 2026-10-28).
- 18 U.S.C. 2510, 18 U.S.C. 2510, definitions, read 2026-10-28, Whether a person can sue: Nothing on this statute or rule page answers it (19,272 characters of statute or rule page text, read 2026-10-28).
- 18 U.S.C. 2510, 18 U.S.C. 2510, definitions, read 2026-10-28, The rule, in its words:
"contents", when used with respect to any wire, oral, or electronic communication, includes any information concerning the substance, purport, or meaning of that communication
- 18 U.S.C. 2702 (Stored Communications Act), 18 U.S.C. 2702, read 2026-10-28, What part of a chat it touches:
shall not knowingly divulge to any person or entity the contents of a communication while in electronic storage by that service
- 18 U.S.C. 2702 (Stored Communications Act), 18 U.S.C. 2702, read 2026-10-28, What it asks before reuse or disclosure:
with the lawful consent of the originator or an addressee or intended recipient of such communication, or the subscriber in the case of remote computing service
- 18 U.S.C. 2702 (Stored Communications Act), 18 U.S.C. 2702, read 2026-10-28, Whether a person can sue: Nothing on this statute or rule page answers it (10,035 characters of statute or rule page text, read 2026-10-28).
- 18 U.S.C. 2702 (Stored Communications Act), 18 U.S.C. 2702, read 2026-10-28, The rule, in its words:
a person or entity providing an electronic communication service to the public shall not knowingly divulge to any person or entity the contents of a communication
- California Business and Professions Code 17941, Business and Professions Code section 17941, read 2026-10-24, What part of a chat it touches:
It shall be unlawful for any person to use a bot to communicate or interact with another person in California online, with the intent to mislead the other person about its artificial identity
- California Business and Professions Code 17941, Business and Professions Code section 17941, read 2026-10-24, What it asks before reuse or disclosure:
The disclosure required by this section shall be clear, conspicuous, and reasonably designed to inform persons with whom the bot communicates or interacts that it is a bot.
- California Business and Professions Code 17941, Business and Professions Code section 17941, read 2026-10-24, Whether a person can sue: Nothing on this statute or rule page answers it (1,684 characters of statute or rule page text, read 2026-10-24).
- California Business and Professions Code 17941, Business and Professions Code section 17941, read 2026-10-24, The rule, in its words:
A person using a bot shall not be liable under this section if the person discloses that it is a bot.
- California Penal Code 631, Penal Code section 631, read 2026-10-28, What part of a chat it touches:
reads, or attempts to read, or to learn the contents or meaning of any message, report, or communication while the same is in transit or passing
- California Penal Code 631, Penal Code section 631, read 2026-10-28, What it asks before reuse or disclosure:
willfully and without the consent of all parties to the communication
- California Penal Code 631, Penal Code section 631, read 2026-10-28, Whether a person can sue: Nothing on this statute or rule page answers it (3,639 characters of statute or rule page text, read 2026-10-28).
- California Penal Code 631, Penal Code section 631, read 2026-10-28, The rule, in its words:
or who willfully and without the consent of all parties to the communication, or in any unauthorized manner, reads, or attempts to read
Read and excluded
1 named document was read and left out because it is not what this board covers; the reason is below. It is counted, never answered.
- California Business and Professions Code 17940 (bot definitions): the definitions section for Business and Professions Code 17941, which is recorded from its own text
How we read and count
Each rule's own California statutes, the US Code and the eCFR were read through estate-fetch and stored whole (sha256 on every row).
For every statute or rule page, four questions were answered from its own words: what part of a chat it touches, what it asks before reuse or disclosure, whether a person can sue, the rule, in its words.
Every stated answer carries the sentence it rests on, checked against the stored text; 'not stated' means the statute or rule page read does not address the question.
A rule with several statute and rule pages reads 'varies' where they disagree.
5 rules, 5 statute and rule pages.
1 more named document is listed but unread, and not counted.
7 sources, with links
- California Penal Code 631 (wiretapping, reading a communication in transit) (quoted for reporting from the publisher's California statutes, the US Code and the eCFR)
- California Business and Professions Code 17941 (bot disclosure) (quoted for reporting from the publisher's California statutes, the US Code and the eCFR)
- California Business and Professions Code 17940 (bot definitions) (read, set aside)
- California Civil Code 1798.100 (CCPA notice at collection, purpose limits) (not yet read)
- 18 U.S.C. 2510 (definitions: electronic communication, contents) (quoted for reporting from the publisher's California statutes, the US Code and the eCFR)
- 18 U.S.C. 2702 (Stored Communications Act: voluntary disclosure of contents) (quoted for reporting from the publisher's California statutes, the US Code and the eCFR)
- 16 CFR Part 312 (COPPA rule: children's personal information online) (quoted for reporting from the publisher's California statutes, the US Code and the eCFR)
Cite it or embed it
5 US rules that sit on a chat transcript before it is reused or licensed, read 28 October 2026.
What part of a chat it touches, by rule: a message read while it is being sent 2 of 5, whether the other side is a bot 1 of 5, a child's messages and personal information 1 of 5, the stored contents of a conversation 1 of 5 (5 rules, read 28 October 2026).
What it asks before reuse or disclosure, by rule: consent 2 of 5, clear disclosure 1 of 5, not stated 1 of 5, verifiable parental consent 1 of 5 (5 rules, read 28 October 2026).
Whether a person can sue, by rule: not stated 5 of 5 (5 rules, read 28 October 2026).
The rule, in its words, by rule: stated 5 of 5 (5 rules, read 28 October 2026).
Suggested citation: "US rules that sit on a chat transcript", updated 2026-10-28, https://sellchattranscriptstoai.com/datasets/chat-transcript-law/.
Get the CSV (20 answers, worked out 2026-10-28)