The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reportedly sent civil investigative demands to OpenAI and Anthropic on October 14, 2026, seeking records about AI safety incidents, safeguards, marketing and privacy, Axios reported on October 15, citing a person familiar with the matter. The reported demands are an evidence-gathering step ahead of possible litigation, not a determination that either company violated consumer-protection law.
What the FTC reportedly requested
Axios reported that the demands seek records concerning security incidents and company safeguards, along with marketing materials and privacy-policy documents. Each demand is reportedly more than 50 pages long.
The scope reaches beyond incident reports: the requested material also includes how the companies describe their products to customers and what their privacy policies say. Those categories are part of the reported request; the account does not describe a finding about either company’s practices.
What the demands and next steps mean
A civil investigative demand, or CID, is an evidence-gathering instrument used ahead of potential litigation, Axios says. That puts the reported demands at the investigative stage. The report does not describe an FTC enforcement case or a ruling against OpenAI or Anthropic.
Axios also reported that the FTC planned to compel senior AI executives to testify about their products and expected to send demands to third-party AI organizations later. The testimony plan was part of the reported next steps.
OpenAI’s response
An OpenAI spokesperson said safety remained a priority and that the company would engage constructively with the FTC, Axios reported. NeoTeo has also published earlier coverage of an FTC inquiry involving potential harms from AI agents.
How the 2026 demands differ from the 2023 inquiry
On July 13, 2023, WAMC/NPR reported that the FTC had opened an investigation into ChatGPT and requested records from OpenAI. That inquiry’s reported focus included potentially false information about people, as well as privacy and data security. The 2026 demands, by contrast, reportedly name OpenAI and Anthropic and cover safety incidents, safeguards, marketing and privacy policies. (WAMC/NPR)
