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Report: FTC probes Anthropic, OpenAI after Trump dismissed AI fears as β€œhoax”

15 October 2026 at 11:43

Following a string of incidents where AI models hacked websites and breached government systems during testing phases, the Federal Trade Commission is officially probing Anthropic and OpenAI over consumer harms, an insider told Axios.

On Wednesday, the FTC sent out civil investigative demands seeking a wide range of information from the AI firms on recent safety incidents.

The FTC did not respond to Ars’ request to review the subpoena demands. However, Axios’ source said the requests spanned more than 50 pages of questions and sought documents related to the incidents, internal security measures taken, and marketing materials that may suggest consumers were misled.

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Β© Tom Williams / Contributor | CQ-Roll Call, Inc.

X Removes 13,000 Fake Accounts Ahead of US Midterm Elections

15 October 2026 at 02:51

Fake X Accounts

X has suspended more than 13,000 accounts tied to three suspected foreign influence operations linked to Iran, Russia, and China. With the US midterms approaching, the platform said the fake X accounts were trying to shape political debate in the United States. The crackdown came one week after OpenAI announced it had disrupted two similar influence campaigns from Russia and Iran.Β  The company announced the suspensions on Wednesday while outlining its plans for the November 3 US midterm elections. According to X, its investigations found that the networks used fake accounts to publish and amplify political content aimed at candidates and public figures "across the political spectrum."Β 

Fake X Accounts Targeted Candidates Across Party LinesΒ 

X said it detected the accounts through "proactive sweeps and investigations" carried out under its rules against spam and coordinated inauthentic behaviour.Β  In a statement on the suspensions, X Global Government Affairs said: "Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and we are proud that X is the global town square where these debates happen. Our job is to keep that conversation authentic, open, and safe."Β  Along with removing the fake X accounts, the platform set out its rules for the US midterms. These rules ban misleading information about how, when, or where to vote. They also cover attempts to suppress voter turnout and acts of voter intimidation, including calls for violence near polling stations.Β  Users who come across questionable election-related posts can report them through the "civic integrity" option and request a community note that adds context. In urgent cases, X said it may also label posts that break its election rules.Β 

OpenAI's Recent Action and X's Earlier CrackdownsΒ 

X's announcement followed a similar move by OpenAI a week earlier. OpenAI said it had shut down two alleged influence operations from Russia and Iran that used ChatGPT to create fake journalist personas. One of the operations also ran a "think-tank" that covertly spread anti-Ukraine propaganda.Β  This is not the first time the platform has acted against suspected foreign networks. In 2021, Twitter, as X was then known, said it had suspended 238 accounts purportedly operating from Iran.Β  The latest suspensions are much larger than that earlier action. The actions by X and OpenAI also show that foreign influence efforts are now spread across several technology platforms, from social media networks to AI tools, as the US midterms draw closer.Β 

OpenAI accuses employee who left for Apple of leaking plans for unreleased device

14 October 2026 at 16:31

Hours before Apple and the ChatGPT maker were due to face off in court, a new allegation delayed the showdown

An ⁠OpenAI employee who left the ChatGPT maker for Apple sent more than 100 files about an unreleased product to a personal ⁠account and later ⁠made a presentation ​about the unreleased product to senior Apple leadership, a new filing in the lawsuit between OpenAI and Apple alleges.

In the filing ⁠in US federal court in San Jose, California, OpenAI alleged that the presentation happened months ago and that Apple is now making ⁠AI products of its own, citing the release of Apple’s HomeView product this week.

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Β© Photograph: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Β© Photograph: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Β© Photograph: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

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