State attorneys general open investigation into OpenAI over treatment of minors

A group of state attorneys general has opened an investigation into OpenAI, according to reporting by TechCrunch citing The Wall Street Journal. The company was served with a subpoena from New York's attorney general on Friday. The subpoena sought documents on a broad set of subjects, including advertising, user engagement and retention, model sycophancy, the handling of consumer and health data, and the treatment of minors and seniors.

An OpenAI spokesperson said the company takes the concerns raised by the attorneys general seriously and intends to engage with their offices. The spokesperson also described measures the company says it has adopted, including age prediction, parental tools, safeguards that direct people to real-world resources and trusted human contacts, and a ban on advertising that targets children.

The investigation is not the only legal pressure the company faces. Earlier this month, Florida's attorney general sued OpenAI and its chief executive, alleging that the company ignored safety warnings and put children at risk. OpenAI also faces separate lawsuits ranging from alleged copyright infringement to claims concerning ChatGPT's alleged role in user suicides.

For the Foundation, the significance lies in the specific inclusion of minors among the areas under scrutiny. When a technology used by millions of families becomes the subject of state inquiry, questions about how young users are protected, and whether stated safeguards match practice, move from private concern into public accountability.

This post is based on reporting by Anthony Ha for TechCrunch, available at https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/13/openai-faces-investigation-from-state-attorneys-general/.