14 October 2026 · OpenAI, Anthropic · regulatory action

FTC reportedly sends civil investigative demands to OpenAI and Anthropic over AI safety incidents

Axios reported, and Gizmodo relayed, that the US Federal Trade Commission sent OpenAI and Anthropic civil subpoenas, each reportedly more than 50 pages, seeking records on security incidents, safety measures, marketing material and privacy policies. Coverage linked the move to OpenAI's Hugging Face and Australian incidents and Anthropic's false police tip. The FTC also reportedly plans to seek testimony from executives and to send further demands to other AI organisations.

Note: Based on Axios reporting citing a person familiar with the matter; the Axios page could not be opened. Gizmodo (15 Oct) says the demands were sent 'on Wednesday', i.e. 14 October; some outlets give 15 October. At the time of Gizmodo's report the FTC, OpenAI and Anthropic had not responded to requests for comment. No official FTC release was found. The investigation concerns possible consumer-protection issues and is not a finding of wrongdoing.

reported by media · Sources: Gizmodo