FTC Removes Blogs Critical of AI and Big Tech

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has taken down all posts from President Joe Biden’s term in office from its business blog, an online publication that has historically provided guidance on complying with consumer-protection regulations. The blog, which previously covered topics such as artificial intelligence and the collection and use of customer data by big tech companies, currently has no content published between December 21, 2020, and March 7, 2025.

According to a report by Wired, several notable blog posts have been deleted, including those that discussed the use of artificial intelligence and data collection practices by companies like Amazon and Microsoft. Current and former FTC officials, speaking anonymously due to fear of retaliation, have expressed concerns about the removal of these posts. One source noted that the deletion of these blogs is essentially "erasing those from history" and undermining the FTC’s ability to communicate its compliance expectations to industry.

The FTC is currently led by President Donald Trump’s nominee, Andrew Ferguson, who has stated that he plans to use the department to "end Big Tech’s vendetta against competition and free speech." However, the removal of these blog posts has been met with criticism, with some accusing the administration of hypocrisy on the issue of censorship. As one source told Wired, "They are talking a big game on censorship… But at the end of the day, the thing that really hits these companies’ bottom line is what data they can collect, how they can use that data, whether they can train their AI models on that data."

The removal of these blog posts has raised concerns about the FTC’s commitment to regulating big tech companies and protecting consumer data. With the administration’s focus on censorship, some are questioning whether the FTC will continue to prioritize enforcement actions related to data collection and AI practices. As the situation continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how the FTC’s actions will impact the tech industry and consumers alike.