FTC Removes Lina Khan-Era Posts About AI Risks and Open Source

Why It Matters

Industry watchers say the removals risk undermining transparency and legal obligations under the Federal Records Act and Open Government Data Act, while signaling lighter regulatory scrutiny of Big Tech and potential impacts on merger and antitrust enforcement in the AI sector.

Summary

The Federal Trade Commission quietly removed three Lina Khan‑era blog posts on open‑source AI and consumer harms—published July 2024, October 2023 and January 2025—according to Wired, part of a broader purge that previously included roughly 300 AI‑related posts. The deletions follow leadership changes under the Trump administration and new FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson’s push to delete or revise anticompetitive regulations, even as the White House’s AI agenda shifts toward rapid growth and competition with China rather than safety guardrails. Industry watchers say the removals risk undermining transparency and legal obligations under the Federal Records Act and Open Government Data Act, while signaling lighter regulatory scrutiny of Big Tech and potential impacts on merger and antitrust enforcement in the AI sector.