# FTC announces AI safety investigation

> The FTC said it is probing Meta, Anthropic and evaluator METR over AI safety, signaling a rare public move.

Oossa · 2026-10-08 · https://oossa.com/en/ftc-announces-ai-safety-investigation

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission announced it is investigating Meta, Anthropic and the independent AI evaluator METR for AI safety concerns. A former FTC official said the agency usually keeps probes quiet to avoid affecting stock prices, but this public notice is unusual. The move aligns with the Trump administration’s approach of applying existing laws without adding new AI rules. OpenAI’s chief global affairs officer said the industry is still trying to learn what the probe means.

## The facts

- The announcement was made on Oct 08, 2026
- Companies named: Meta, Anthropic, METR

## Why it matters

A public FTC probe could pressure the named AI firms to adjust safety practices or face regulatory scrutiny.

## Sources & references

1. [FTC advancing on its AI safety probe](https://www.semafor.com/article/10/08/2026/ftc-advancing-on-its-ai-safety-probe) – Semafor, 2026-10-08

Last updated: 2026-10-08