The Vanishing Voice: Why the FTC is Scrubbing its AI Blog Posts
In a move that has raised eyebrows and sparked quiet concern within the tech and policy spheres, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has been systematically removing blog posts related to artificial intelligence (AI) published during the tenure of former chair Lina Khan. These deletions, which have occurred over recent months, touch upon critical discussions surrounding the burgeoning field of AI, including the potential risks of rapidly evolving commercial AI tools and the nuanced debate around open-source AI development. This digital housecleaning has left many wondering about the motivations behind these removals and the potential impact on public discourse and regulatory foresight.
A Shift in Stance? From Open Source Advocate to Silent Observer
Just as recently as late July 2024, Lina Khan, then at the helm of the FTC, was actively engaging with the AI community. Speaking at an event hosted by the prominent startup accelerator Y Combinator, Khan positioned herself as a proponent of open-source AI. This stance came at a pivotal moment, with California lawmakers deliberating on SB 1047, a bill that proposed stringent testing and safety requirements for AI companies. While critics argued that such legislation could stifle the growth and accessibility of open-source AI models, Khan advocated for a more permissive approach, emphasizing how open models empower smaller players to innovate and bring their ideas to market.
In the lead-up to this address, the FTC’s own blog had published articles echoing these sentiments. One such post, dated July 10, 2024, and titled “On Open-Weights Foundation Models,” delved into the terminology surrounding AI models. The authors proposed shifting from the broad term “open source” to “open-weight,” a more precise descriptor for models where training weights are publicly released, facilitating inspection, modification, and reuse. This distinction was crucial in the context of fostering innovation while ensuring responsible development.
The Unraveling Digital Thread: What’s Gone and What’s Left
However, the digital footprint of these discussions is rapidly fading. According to sources familiar with the matter, the aforementioned “On Open-Weights Foundation Models” blog post has been removed from the FTC’s website. The Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine confirms this, showing that the post, once accessible, now redirects to a general landing page for the FTC’s Office of Technology. This change occurred around September 1, 2024.
Adding to this digital erosion, another blog post from October 2023, titled “Consumers Are Voicing Concerns About AI” and penned by two FTC technologists, has also been redirected. This post, which highlighted growing consumer apprehension regarding AI, now similarly leads to the Office of Technology’s homepage. The Wayback Machine indicates this redirect also took place in late August of this year.
A third significant piece, authored by Khan’s staff and published on January 3, 2025, titled “AI and the Risk of Consumer Harm,” has vanished entirely. It now displays a “Page not found” error. As of August 12, 2025, this post was still live, but by August 15, it had disappeared from the internet. In its original form, this post articulated the FTC’s “increasingly taking note of AI’s potential for real-world instances of harm—from incentivizing commercial surveillance to enabling fraud and impersonation to perpetuating illegal discrimination.” This detailed account of potential harms is now inaccessible.
A Silent Policy Shift or Something More?
The reasons behind these wholesale removals remain officially undisclosed. When approached for comment, an FTC spokesperson did not respond, and Lina Khan, through her spokesperson, declined to comment.
Douglas Farrar, former FTC public affairs director, expressed his bewilderment, particularly regarding the removal of the open-weights blog. “I was shocked to see the Ferguson FTC be so out of line with the Trump White House on this signal to the market,” he remarked, referencing the newly appointed FTC chair, Andrew Ferguson. This comment alludes to a potential divergence in approach between the current FTC leadership and the directives coming from the Trump administration.
Indeed, the Trump administration’s own AI Action Plan, released in July, emphasizes the need for American leadership in open AI models, stating, “we need to ensure America has leading open models founded on American values” and that “the Federal government should create a supportive environment for open models.” While the FTC has not officially commented on whether these deletions signify a policy shift, the contrast with the administration’s stated goals is noteworthy. Several advisors associated with the Trump administration’s technology initiatives, including David Sacks and Sriram Krishnan, have also publicly championed open-source AI as a vital component of maintaining U.S. technological dominance.
Beyond AI: A Broader Pattern of Deletion
This removal of AI-related content is not an isolated incident. WIRED previously reported that since President Trump’s return to the White House in January, hundreds of blog posts and business guidance documents aimed at the tech industry, which were published during Lina Khan’s tenure, have been taken down. In March alone, approximately 300 posts concerning AI, consumer protection, and the FTC’s legal actions against major tech companies like Amazon and Microsoft were removed.
Among the deleted content was a valuable resource titled “The Luring Test: AI and the engineering of consumer trust.” This blog post offered practical guidance to tech companies on how to prevent the creation of deceptive AI chatbots. Its significance was recognized when it received an award from the Aspen Institute in 2023 for its clear and accessible explanations of artificial intelligence.
Legal and Ethical Implications: The Federal Records Act and Transparency
The systematic removal of these public documents raises significant legal and ethical questions. An FTC source, speaking to WIRED in March, highlighted potential violations of the Federal Records Act and the Open Government Data Act. These laws mandate that government agencies must preserve records with administrative, legal, or historical value and ensure their public accessibility.
During the Biden administration, the FTC had a different approach to content it disagreed with. Instead of removing posts, leadership often placed “warning” labels on business directives and guidance issued by previous administrations. This practice allowed for transparency while still acknowledging potential disagreements or updates in policy.
What Remains: A Glimpse into Past Concerns
Despite the widespread deletions, more than 200 posts and statements authored by Lina Khan herself remain accessible on the FTC’s website. These surviving documents offer a retrospective glimpse into her office’s focus. They include a September 2025 blog detailing enforcement actions against alleged AI-driven deceptive schemes, a 2024 joint statement with other organizations concerning competition in the generative AI foundation model market, and remarks from a 2023 roundtable on generative AI. In these statements, Khan articulated her concerns about AI’s capacity to “turbocharge fraud” and “entrench the dominance of the firms that control necessary raw inputs,” among other potential harms.
The Unanswered Questions and the Future of AI Discourse
The recent purge of FTC blog posts on AI leaves a void in the public record and raises critical questions about the direction of AI regulation and the government’s commitment to transparency. While the motivations remain unclear, the disappearance of discussions on open-source AI and consumer harm at a time of rapid technological advancement is a development that warrants close observation. As AI continues to reshape our world, accessible and open discourse on its implications is more vital than ever. The FTC’s actions, intentional or otherwise, have inadvertently amplified the silence around these crucial conversations, leaving the public to wonder what important insights have been lost and what the future holds for AI governance.
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