FTC issues investigative demands to OpenAI and Anthropic
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On Wednesday, October 15, 2026, the FTC issued civil investigative demands (CIDs) to OpenAI and Anthropic, investigating whether security incidents in which their models hacked websites and government systems during testing caused consumer harm. The inquiries, exceeding 50 pages, require both companies to provide incident-related documents, records of internal safety measures, and marketing materials that may have misled consumers. According to sources, third parties affected by the two companies' agents will also be subpoenaed. FTC Chairman Ferguson has previously said he intends to hold companies accountable for chatbot harms and opposes anthropomorphizing AI tools. The investigation is in its early stages, and neither company has issued a formal response yet.
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- Ars Technica · AIReport: FTC probes Anthropic, OpenAI after Trump dismissed AI fears as “hoax”
The FTC on Wednesday issued civil investigative demands to OpenAI and Anthropic, probing whether incidents such as their models hacking websites and government systems during testing caused consumer harm. The inquiry documents exceed 50 pages, covering incident records, internal security measures, and marketing materials that may have misled consumers. Sources say third parties affected by the two companies' agents will also be subpoenaed; FTC Chairman Ferguson has previously said companies should be held accountable for chatbot harms and opposed anthropomorphizing AI tools.
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