FTC Removes Lina Khan AI Posts - AI Regulation Update

FTC Removes Blog Posts on AI Under New Leadership

According to a report by Wired, the Federal Trade Commission has taken down three blog posts originating from the period led by Lina Khan. These posts specifically addressed the implications of open source AI and the potential risks AI poses to consumers.

Details of the Removed Posts

One of the removed articles, “On Open-Weights Foundation Models,” was initially published on July 10, 2024. Another post, “Consumers Are Voicing Concerns About AI,” appeared in October 2023. A third piece, authored by staff members during Khan’s tenure, was released on January 3, 2025, under the title “AI and the Risk of Consumer Harm.”

This last post highlighted the FTC’s observation of AI’s capacity to cause tangible harm. It specifically mentioned concerns like incentivizing commercial surveillance, enabling fraudulent activities and impersonation, and reinforcing discriminatory practices.

FTC's Response and Historical Context

TechCrunch has contacted the FTC seeking clarification regarding the reasons for the posts’ removal. However, Lina Khan has declined to provide a comment.

This action mirrors a trend established during the Trump administration. That administration initiated executive orders directing federal agencies to remove or alter significant amounts of publicly available government content.

Following his inauguration, a change in leadership occurred at the FTC, with several commissioners being replaced. This resulted in a shift in focus away from Khan’s assertive antitrust policies and towards deregulation benefiting Big Tech. In September, the newly appointed FTC Chair, Andrew Ferguson, proposed recommendations for deleting or revising regulations perceived as anticompetitive throughout the federal government.

Alignment with Current AI Policy

The recently removed blog posts, which centered on potential consumer harm, appear to diverge from the Trump administration’s current AI Action Plan. This plan prioritizes rapid growth and competition with China, with a diminished emphasis on safety measures and regulatory safeguards. However, the administration has publicly expressed support for open source initiatives.

Douglas Farrar, a former FTC public affairs director, expressed surprise to TechCrunch, stating that Ferguson’s actions seemed inconsistent with the Trump White House’s messaging to the market.

Previous Content Removals

This is not an isolated incident. Wired previously reported in March that the FTC had removed approximately 300 posts related to AI, consumer protection, and the agency’s legal actions against technology companies such as Amazon and Microsoft.

While a substantial number of blog posts from Khan’s leadership and prior administrations remain accessible on the agency’s Office of Technology Blog, Ferguson’s FTC has not yet published any new content to the site. This occurs despite the rapid advancements in AI, including numerous mergers and acquisitions – including acqui-hires – that could potentially raise anticompetitive concerns.

Broader Trend of Government Content Removal

The FTC’s blog post removals are part of a larger pattern of the Trump administration removing or modifying thousands of government web pages and datasets. Content related to diversity, equity, and inclusion; gender identity; public health; and environmental policy has been particularly affected.

For instance, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has removed data pertaining to a range of chronic medical conditions and HIV/AIDS. The Justice Department has removed studies on hate crimes, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has taken down the National Climate Assessment reports, as mandated by Congress.

Potential Legal Implications

The removal of this content – including the FTC blog posts – may be in violation of both the Federal Records Act, which mandates the preservation of records documenting government activities, and the Open Government Data Act, which requires agencies to publish data as “open data” by default.

Wired reports that the Biden administration’s FTC leadership previously addressed disagreements with content from prior administrations by adding warning labels, rather than outright removal.