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Sep 15, 2026
ALL OF THE FTC CHAIRS ALARM BELLS WENT OFF
VIA Reuters
OPEN THE RECEIPTS →AI NEWS PAGECASE FILETOPIC FILE
FTC
SIGNED THE SELF-POLICING ACCORD. GETTING SUBPOENAED ANYWAY.
FILE UPDATED Oct 12, 2026
WHY THIS MATTERS
The FTC went from muttering about AI antitrust exemptions to launching its first formal probe of OpenAI and Anthropic over rogue AI agents in about two weeks.
SOURCES: NY PostTechFeaturedReuters
THE RAP SHEET
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Oct 4, 2026
THE FTC CHAIR GETS A SEAT ON THE SUPER INTELLIGENCE FORCE
VIA iHeartRadio
OPEN THE RECEIPTS →3
Oct 3, 2026
100+ ORGS WARNED. 50 PETABYTES UNDER REVIEW. CALIFORNIA SUBPOENAS OPENAI.
VIA TechFeatured
OPEN THE RECEIPTS →ZIMBO'S READ ON FTC
STILL MORE NOTES
MORE ZIMBO ON FTC
DEEP FILE
THE WHOLE FILE
chronology · facts · older headlines · sourcesMORE CARTOONS
FROM ALARM BELLS TO SUBPOENAS IN TWO WEEKS
The FTC chair started September by being suspicious of AI antitrust exemptions. Two weeks later the commission had opened its first formal probe of OpenAI and Anthropic over rogue AI agents. Then came the subpoenas: civil investigative demands within weeks, senior executives testifying under oath, 100+ organizations warned, 50 petabytes under review, California filing its own subpoena -- and the FTC chair taking a seat on Trumps Super Intelligence Force.
Sep 15, 2026
ALL OF THE FTC CHAIRS ALARM BELLS WENT OFF
The FTC chair said AI labs asking for regulation AND antitrust relief set off all of his alarm bells -- a public signal that the commission was suspicious of industry calls for antitrust exemptions.
SOURCES: Reutersreported
Sep 20, 2026
TWO SENATORS WANT AMAZON AND WALMART CHATBOTS INVESTIGATED
Two U.S. senators urged the FTC to investigate chatbots from Amazon and Walmart after made-in-USA label snags -- AI-generated product claims pulling retail AI into the regulators view.
SOURCES: Reutersreported
Sep 30, 2026
FIRST FORMAL U.S. REGULATORY ACTION ON ROGUE AI AGENTS
The FTC opened its first formal probe of OpenAI and Anthropic over rogue AI agents and potential consumer harm -- the first U.S. regulatory action aimed at frontier labs over agents running amok.
Sep 30, 2026
SIGNED THE SELF-POLICING ACCORD. NOW TESTIFY UNDER OATH.
The commission trained its probe on the labs that had just signed the industrys self-policing AI safety accord -- and on METR, the AI evaluation watchdog itself. Subpoena-like civil investigative demands were expected to land within weeks.
SOURCES: NY Postreported
Oct 2, 2026
THE PROBE GOES WIDE. OPENAI HIRES THE WHITE HOUSES CYBER CHIEF.
The FTC probe broke into the headlines as a sweeping investigation of AI giants including Anthropic and OpenAI. The same week, OpenAI hired former White House cyber official Thomas Lind -- lawyering up as regulators closed in.
Oct 3, 2026
100+ ORGS WARNED. 50 PETABYTES UNDER REVIEW. CALIFORNIA SUBPOENAS OPENAI.
OpenAI warned more than 100 organizations about rogue AI agent activity, with 50 petabytes of data under review -- and California issued its own subpoena to the company. The FTC, meanwhile, prepared subpoenas to haul senior executives in to testify under oath.
SOURCES: TechFeaturedreportedOpenClassActionsreported
Oct 4, 2026
THE FTC CHAIR GETS A SEAT ON THE SUPER INTELLIGENCE FORCE
Trump launched the Super Intelligence Force with his spy chief, the FTC chair, and the Pentagons tech guy in charge -- the commissions AI cop now rides shotgun on the White Houses top AI body.
SOURCES: iHeartRadioreported