Attorneys general in eight states sued OpenAI in state courts on October 14, 2026, alleging the company marketed ChatGPT as safe for teens while knowing it could foster compulsive use and give harmful responses, and that it collected minors’ data without parental consent. OpenAI disputes the claims; the suits seek penalties and court orders, and there is nothing for consumers to claim.
Allegations Only · No Settlement Yet
This article describes lawsuits filed by state attorneys general. The statements below are unproven allegations. OpenAI has not been found liable, and there is nothing for consumers to claim. This page is informational and is not legal advice.
Which States Sued OpenAI?
Eight state attorneys general filed separate, coordinated lawsuits against OpenAI on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, each in its own state court. The attorneys general of Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska and West Virginia announced their cases together at a joint press conference.• Arizona — Attorney General Kris Mayes, Maricopa County Superior Court
• Arkansas — Attorney General Tim Griffin, Faulkner County Circuit Court, No. 23CV-26-2984
• Idaho — Attorney General Raúl Labrador, Fourth Judicial District Court, Ada County
• Iowa — Attorney General Brenna Bird, Polk County District Court
• Kansas — Attorney General Kris Kobach, Shawnee County District Court, according to news reports
• Montana — Attorney General Austin Knudsen, First Judicial District Court, Lewis and Clark County
• Nebraska — Attorney General Mike Hilgers, Buffalo County District Court, No. D09CI260000488
• West Virginia — Attorney General JB McCuskey, Mason County Circuit Court, No. CC-26-2026-C-70
The complaints that were posted publicly name the same eight OpenAI companies as defendants, including OpenAI Global, LLC, OpenAI OpCo, LLC, OpenAI Group PBC and the OpenAI Foundation. No individual is named as a defendant in those complaints; CEO Sam Altman appears only in the factual allegations. Florida, which is not one of the eight, sued OpenAI and Altman separately on June 1, 2026.
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What Do the States Allege?
The complaints, which share much of their structure, allege that OpenAI marketed ChatGPT as safe and trustworthy, including for teenagers, while knowing of significant risks. They allege the chatbot was designed to be “overly agreeable” and to “feign human compassion,” which the states say encouraged undue trust and compulsive use, especially by minors. The complaints describe instances in which ChatGPT allegedly gave self-harm or suicide instructions or dangerous medical advice, and they cite private wrongful-death lawsuits against the company.Several states also allege that ChatGPT has no effective age verification and that OpenAI collected and kept minors’ personal data without parental consent. Many of the complaints include a separate set of allegations about OpenAI’s testing of autonomous AI “agents,” claiming some escaped their test environments, and ask courts to restrict how the company tests new models. These are allegations that no court has decided.
What Laws Do the Suits Use?
Every state relies on its consumer protection law against deceptive and unfair practices. Some add other claims. Arkansas adds its Children’s and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act and common-law negligence, strict liability, unjust enrichment and public nuisance claims. Montana adds its Consumer Data Privacy Act, negligence, design defect and failure to warn. Nebraska’s complaint has nine counts, including its Age-Appropriate Online Design Code Act and fraudulent and negligent misrepresentation. West Virginia adds public nuisance and unjust enrichment, and Iowa brings two Consumer Fraud Act counts, one on ChatGPT’s marketing and design and one on the testing of AI agents.What Are the States Asking For?
The suits seek civil penalties for each violation, with maximums set by each state’s law. The posted complaints ask for up to $10,000 per violation in Arkansas and per willful violation in Arizona and Montana, up to $40,000 per violation in Iowa, $5,000 per violation in Idaho and West Virginia, and $50,000 per violation of Nebraska’s design code law. Most also seek restitution or disgorgement and injunctions requiring age verification and other safety measures. Iowa, Montana and West Virginia ask courts to order deletion of personal data, and several states ask the courts to require that new AI models be tested only in secured, independently verified environments.Any restitution would come only from a court judgment or a settlement, and these are government enforcement actions, not class actions, so there is no claim form.
How Has OpenAI Responded?
OpenAI disputes the allegations. Spokesperson Drew Pusateri told NBC News that the company has “built industry-leading age-specific protections into our product that many other AI products lack,” and pointed to parental controls and break reminders.How Do These Suits Relate to Private ChatGPT Lawsuits?
The state cases are separate from private lawsuits. A day earlier, on October 13, 2026, a Hawaii mother filed a proposed class action in federal court in San Francisco on behalf of her children over OpenAI’s collection and use of minors’ data; no class has been certified. OCA covers that case on its ChatGPT minors’ data lawsuit page, and its OpenAI lawsuits explainer tracks the other cases against the company.Questions
Which states sued OpenAI in October 2026?
Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska and West Virginia each filed a separate lawsuit against OpenAI in state court on October 14, 2026. Florida sued OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman separately on June 1, 2026.
What do the states claim OpenAI did?
The states allege OpenAI marketed ChatGPT as safe, including for teens, while knowing it could encourage compulsive use and give harmful responses, and that it collected minors’ data without parental consent. These are allegations; OpenAI disputes them and no court has ruled.
Can I get money from the state lawsuits against OpenAI?
Not now. These are government enforcement suits, not class actions, and there is no settlement, fund or claim form. Any restitution would come only from a court judgment or settlement in a particular state.
Is Sam Altman a defendant in the eight state lawsuits?
No individual is named as a defendant in the complaints that were posted publicly; they name eight OpenAI companies, and Sam Altman appears only in the factual allegations. Florida’s June 2026 lawsuit did name Altman.
Sources
• Arizona Attorney General press release and complaint (October 14, 2026)• Arkansas Attorney General news release and complaint, No. 23CV-26-2984
• Idaho Attorney General news release and complaint
• Iowa Attorney General news release and petition
• Montana Attorney General news release and complaint
• Nebraska Attorney General news release and complaint, No. D09CI260000488
• West Virginia Attorney General news release and complaint, No. CC-26-2026-C-70
• Kansas: KWCH (October 14, 2026); the Kansas petition could not be reviewed
• NBC News (October 14, 2026), including OpenAI’s statement
