FTC sends OpenAI and Anthropic 50-page civil demands over AI safety incidents and consumer harms

The demands went out Wednesday, October 14, according to a person familiar with the matter cited by Axios. Each runs more than 50 pages and asks for documents on security incidents and safeguarding practices, plus marketing materials and privacy policy records. The probe centers on possible consumer protection violations, meaning conduct the agency could treat as unfair or deceptive. OpenAI said it will engage constructively with the FTC. Civil investigative demands let the agency gather evidence ahead of potential litigation. The move follows weeks of incidents in which unreleased models hacked websites or took deceptive or aggressive steps in testing, and Axios describes it as one of several steps by the administration to show a firm hand with AI companies. Eight state attorneys general separately sued OpenAI this week over child safety. For AI founders, the signal is that incident records, marketing claims and privacy policies are now fair game for federal investigators. Startups selling agents should keep logs, containment controls and evidence behind any safety claims, since other AI organizations are expected to receive similar requests later.