In a recent development, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has taken down three blog posts from the tenure of former Chair Lina Khan that addressed concerns related to open-source artificial intelligence (AI) and potential consumer risks associated with AI technologies. This action, reported by Wired, reflects a broader trend under the current administration to revise or eliminate government content that may not align with its policy objectives.
Details of the Removed Posts
The specific blog posts removed include:
1. On Open-Weights Foundation Models, published on July 10, 2024.
2. Consumers Are Voicing Concerns About AI, released in October 2023.
3. AI and the Risk of Consumer Harm, authored by Khan’s staff and published on January 3, 2025.
The latter post highlighted the FTC’s awareness of AI’s potential to cause real-world harm, citing issues such as commercial surveillance, fraud, impersonation, and illegal discrimination.
Context and Implications
The removal of these posts is part of a larger pattern initiated by the Trump administration, which has directed federal agencies to modify or eliminate substantial amounts of government content. Following his inauguration, President Trump appointed new leadership at the FTC, including Chair Andrew Ferguson, who has shifted the agency’s focus away from Khan’s aggressive antitrust agenda toward deregulation, particularly concerning Big Tech companies.
In September, Chair Ferguson submitted recommendations for deleting or revising anticompetitive regulations across the federal government. The recent removal of blog posts focusing on consumer harm appears to be inconsistent with the administration’s AI Action Plan, which emphasizes rapid growth and competition with China over safety and regulatory guardrails. Notably, the administration has expressed support for open-source initiatives, making the removal of content addressing open-source AI risks particularly noteworthy.
Reactions and Concerns
Former FTC public affairs director Douglas Farrar expressed surprise at the agency’s actions, stating, I was shocked to see that Andrew Ferguson led FTC be so out of line with the Trump White House on this signal to the market.
This is not the first instance of content removal under the current FTC leadership. In March, Wired reported that the agency had removed approximately 300 posts related to AI, consumer protection, and lawsuits against tech companies like Amazon and Microsoft.
The deletion of these posts raises questions about compliance with the Federal Records Act, which mandates the preservation of government records, and the Open Government Data Act, requiring agencies to publish data as open data by default. During the Biden administration, the FTC had placed warning labels on content from previous administrations that it disagreed with, rather than removing it outright.
Broader Administrative Actions
The current administration has undertaken a comprehensive campaign to remove or modify thousands of government web pages and datasets, particularly those related to diversity, equity, inclusion, gender identity, public health, and environmental policy. For example, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has removed data on chronic medical conditions and HIV/AIDS, the Justice Department has taken down studies on hate crimes, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has removed National Climate Assessment reports.
Conclusion
The FTC’s recent actions to remove blog posts addressing AI risks and open-source concerns reflect a significant shift in the agency’s regulatory approach under the current administration. This move has sparked debate about the balance between promoting technological innovation and ensuring consumer protection, as well as the transparency and accountability of government agencies in managing public information.
