FTC sends OpenAI and Anthropic roughly 50-page civil investigative demands

On October 15, 2026, Axios reporter Maria Curi reported that the United States Federal Trade Commission has issued civil investigative demands of roughly 50 pages to OpenAI and Anthropic. The information came from a person familiar with the matter, who told Axios that the FTC sought documents from Anthropic and OpenAI. The approximate length of the demands was prominent enough to appear in the report's own headline, making it the main quantified detail of the story.

According to the report, the scope of the probe is focused on potential consumer protection violations. Within that scope, two specific subject areas were named: safety incidents and safeguarding practices at the two companies. The report frames the move as a substantive intervention by the regulator into the safety practices of leading AI companies.

Beyond that, the disclosed details stop. The report does not say exactly when the demands were sent, how OpenAI or Anthropic have responded, or what steps the FTC might take after reviewing the documents it requested. It also does not indicate whether any formal enforcement action would follow, or which specific incidents fall within the scope. As of the October 15 reporting, the confirmed picture is limited to the fact that the FTC issued the demands, their approximate length of about 50 pages, the two recipient companies, the request for documents, and the stated focus on potential consumer protection violations, safety incidents, and safeguarding practices. No statements from either company were included in the report.