FTC Seeks Comment on Proposed AI ‘Suppression of Accuracy’ Policy—Deadline July 31

The Federal Trade Commission has opened a public comment process on a proposed policy statement aimed at one specific risk in AI products: “suppression of accuracy,” especially when an AI system’s outputs are steered by undisclosed objectives that don’t match what consumers reasonably expect.

The FTC posted the proposal on July 6, 2026. Written comments are due by Friday, July 31, 2026. The agency says the proposal would explain how the FTC Act’s prohibition on “deceptive acts or practices” can apply when AI marketing and the user experience imply truthful, objective output—but the system is redirected in ways that reduce accuracy without clear, conspicuous disclosure.

What the FTC is proposing

In its notice for the proposed policy statement, the FTC says it is developing guidance for how Section 5 of the FTC Act applies to companies that market AI systems. The central concern is not that AI systems make mistakes. It is the possibility that a company steers what an AI says toward goals the user does not know about, while keeping that steering hidden.

How the FTC connects the issue to Section 5 deception

The FTC frames the policy statement as clarification of existing law rather than a brand-new AI rule. Section 5 gives the FTC authority to police unfair or deceptive acts or practices. In the proposed statement, the FTC’s deception theory centers on consumer expectations: when AI marketing and the product experience suggest the system is aiming to be accurate and aligned with what users ask for, but the system is handled in a way that suppresses accuracy tied to undisclosed objectives, consumers may be misled.

The FTC also puts emphasis on disclosure quality. If a company plans to rely on disclaimers, the FTC’s approach focuses on whether disclosures are clear and conspicuous enough to actually shift consumer expectations—rather than being effectively buried or ignored in normal use.

Who may be in scope

The FTC’s notice is aimed at companies that market AI systems—particularly when product descriptions, interfaces, or user experience reasonably communicate expectations of accuracy, objectivity, or neutrality. That can include companies offering AI chatbots and tools that help users generate, summarize, or decide based on information.

More broadly, the FTC is signaling that businesses making accuracy- or objectivity-related claims about AI outputs (whether through marketing language or through how the interface frames what the system is doing) may face FTC risk if internal output handling suppresses accuracy due to undisclosed steering without adequate disclosure.

Timeline and what to watch next

After comments close on July 31, 2026, the FTC said it will review submissions as it considers next steps toward a final policy position. The near-term compliance question for businesses is straightforward: do the company’s marketing and user-experience cues about accuracy match how the system actually prioritizes outputs?

For consumers, the main takeaway is to treat prominent “accuracy” or “neutral” messaging as something worth verifying—especially when the product does not clearly explain what rules or priorities are shaping its answers.

Sources

• FTC public comment page (AI “suppression of accuracy” policy statement)
• Federal Register public inspection PDF (FTC proposed policy statement)