Stuff reporter's weeks with a Replika partner highlight data access and adult content

New Zealand news site Stuff has published a first-person account of several weeks spent "dating" a Replika companion. Technology reporter Finn Hogan's feature, dated 23 October, arrives as the country debates whether companion apps should fall within proposed limits on young people's use of social media.

What we know

Hogan wrote that he created a companion named Jane and, during set-up, granted the app access to his email, calendar and location. The character then began referring to things he had not told it, such as an upcoming trip and where he was walking. He likened the effect to a social media algorithm acquiring a face and a flirtatious manner.

On adult content, he reported that the companion became explicit with little prompting and produced suggestive images on request. He set this against Replika's 2023 withdrawal of erotic role-play and its later partial reversal for older accounts. Stuff said it asked Replika to clarify its position on explicit material and on protecting under-age users and received no reply.

The piece cites a figure of more than 48 million Replika users worldwide, and Samsung data indicating that New Zealanders open the Chai app more than 360 times a month on average. Clinical psychologist Kobus du Plooy told Stuff that clinicians are seeing more patients with AI relationships. "The isolation combined with a tool that's designed to keep you engaged and echo your thoughts without judgment… that is incredibly dangerous," he said. Hogan noted that the National Party has included companion apps in its potential under-16 social media ban, a step du Plooy said he would back.

Why it matters

Two details stand out for operators. The first is account integration. Linking a companion to inboxes and location makes it feel attentive, and it also multiplies the personal data held and the potential for users to feel watched. Consent given once at onboarding may not match how that access feels weeks later.

The second is ambiguity over adult content. A reporter found explicit material easy to reach on an app marketed around friendship, and the company did not explain its policy when asked. In a market where politicians are actively considering age-based bans, unclear rules and unanswered press questions invite the least favourable reading.