The FTC’s concern about Snapchat’s My AI chatbot

SnapChat app displayed on a smart phone with in the background SnapChat My AI, seen in this photo illustration, on August 20, 2023, in Brussels, Belgium.
SnapChat app displayed on a smart phone with in the background SnapChat My AI, seen in this photo illustration, on August 20, 2023, in Brussels, Belgium.
(Photo illustration by Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto) via Reuters

On Thursday, the US Federal Trade Commission referred a complaint to the Justice Department concerning Snapchat’s artificial intelligence chatbot, My AI. The FTC doesn’t usually disclose these referrals but felt it was in the public interest to do so, citing potential “risks and harms” to young users of the social media app.

My AI is a chatbot built on OpenAI and Google’s large language models and accessible as part of the Snapchat app. It’s been criticized for being “wildly inappropriate” for the largely teenage audience on Snapchat. The UK had also launched a privacy investigation over teen privacy concerns but closed it in May, issuing a warning to the entire tech industry to put privacy first before rolling out AI tools.

That said, the FTC has yet to disclose what the actual complaint against My AI is about. In response, Snapchat’s parent company told reporters that the complaint is “based on inaccuracies and lacks concrete evidence.” It also said there are “serious First Amendment concerns” and criticized the timing of the announcement — “on the last day of this administration.” It’s unclear whether Trump’s Justice Department leadership will take up a case against Snapchat based on this referral, but it adds a potential Big Tech AI case to Trump’s docket from day one.

More from GZERO Media

Elon Musk in an America Party hat.
Jess Frampton

Life comes at you fast. Only five weeks after vowing to step back from politics and a month after accusing President Donald Trump of being a pedophile, Elon Musk declared his intention to launch a new political party offering Americans an alternative to the Republicans and Democrats.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves (right) crying as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer speaks during Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons, London, United Kingdom, on July 2, 2025.
PA Images via Reuters Connect

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has struggled during his first year in office, an ominous sign for centrists in Western democracies.

- YouTube

“We wanted to be first with a flashy AI law,” says Kai Zenner, digital policy advisor in the European Parliament. Speaking with GZERO's Tony Maciulis at the 2025 AI for Good Summit in Geneva, Zenner explains the ambitions and the complications behind Europe’s landmark AI Act. Designed to create horizontal rules for all AI systems, the legislation aims to set global standards for safety, transparency, and oversight.

More than 60% of Walmart suppliers are small businesses.* Through a $350 billion investment in products made, grown, or assembled in the US, Walmart is helping these businesses expand, create jobs, and thrive. This effort is expected to support the creation of over 750,000 new American jobs by 2030, empowering companies like Athletic Brewing, Bon Appésweet, and Milo’s Tea to grow their teams, scale their production, and strengthen the communities they call home. Learn more about Walmart's commitment to US manufacturing. *See website for additional details.

Last month, Microsoft released its 2025 Responsible AI Transparency Report, demonstrating the company’s sustained commitment to earning trust at a pace that matches AI innovation. The report outlines new developments in how we build and deploy AI systems responsibly, how we support our customers, and how we learn, evolve, and grow. It highlights our strengthened incident response processes, enhanced risk assessments and mitigations, and proactive regulatory alignment. It also covers new tools and practices we offer our customers to support their AI risk governance efforts, as well as how we work with stakeholders around the world to work towards governance approaches that build trust. You can read the report here.