Federal Government Orders Anthropic to Block Foreign Nationals From Two AI Systems
A directive targeting Anthropic's Mythos and Fable platforms marks a rare instance of the federal government publicly ordering a private AI company to restrict access on national security grounds,...
The federal government directed San Francisco-based AI company Anthropic to suspend access to two of its artificial intelligence systems — identified as Mythos and Fable — for foreign nationals, citing national security concerns, according to a report published Friday by The New York Times. Anthropic confirmed the suspension and stated the action was taken in response to a federal government order, though the company did not publicly identify which agency issued the directive.
The order represents a notable exercise of federal authority over a private AI developer's product access controls. Anthropic, founded in 2021 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, has received significant investment from entities including Google and Amazon, both of which have disclosed their stakes in public filings. The company's products Mythos and Fable had been available to users internationally prior to the suspension. No congressional authorization for such a directive has been publicly cited as of the date of this report.
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The legal basis for the federal order has not been publicly disclosed. Potential statutory authorities that could underpin such a directive include the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) administered by the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), or directives issued under executive authority tied to national security. As of publication, no executive order, Federal Register notice, or BIS order specifically naming Anthropic's Mythos or Fable systems has been identified in publicly available government records.
Congress has held multiple hearings on AI regulation and national security, including sessions before the Senate Commerce Committee and the Senate Armed Services Committee in the 119th Congress, though no legislation specifically authorizing federal suspension orders against domestic AI companies' foreign user access has been enacted as of June 2026. No member of Congress has issued a public statement on this specific directive as of the date of this report, per a review of congressional press releases.
Several material facts remain unknown. The specific federal agency that issued the order has not been confirmed in any public record. The legal authority cited in the directive has not been published. It is also unknown whether Mythos and Fable are subject to Export Administration Regulations classifications, what criteria define 'foreign nationals' for purposes of enforcement, and whether other AI companies have received similar directives. A Freedom of Information Act request to the Department of Commerce, the Department of Defense, or the Office of the Director of National Intelligence would be the appropriate mechanism to obtain the underlying order and its stated legal basis.