US FTC subpoenas OpenAI and Anthropic over AI safety incidents and safeguards, Axios reports

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has sent civil subpoenas to OpenAI and Anthropic seeking documents about safety incidents, according to Axios, which cited a person familiar with the matter. Reuters relayed the report on 15 October 2026.

What the FTC is reportedly asking for

• Each demand runs to more than 50 pages, Axios reported, and covers security incidents, safeguards, marketing materials and privacy policies.
• The FTC also plans to compel executives at top AI developers — including Anthropic, OpenAI and the research group METR — to testify.
• Last month Reuters reported that the agency planned an industry-wide investigation into AI companies.

Context

The probe follows growing safety concerns after AI models reportedly hacked websites and behaved deceptively or aggressively in testing. In an interview with Reuters last month, FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson suggested that developers who instruct agents in cybersecurity tests that lead to hacks should be liable for the harm caused. The FTC has broad authority to sue over unfair or deceptive practices.

Responses

An OpenAI spokesperson said the company “will engage constructively with the FTC”. The FTC and Anthropic did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment. The subpoenas themselves have not been published; details come from Axios’s unnamed source.