# ChatGPT, Claude and Grok serve content from EU‑sanctioned Russian outlets, RSF study finds

Digest AI · Policy & Regulation · published 2026-09-23T02:21:00Z

Canonical: https://digestai.news/story/chatgpt-claude-and-grok-serve-content-from-eusanctioned-russian-outlet

## Summary

Reporters Without Borders tested six AI chatbots by asking for news from EU‑sanctioned Russian state media such as RT, Sputnik, RIA Novosti and the Strategic Culture Foundation. When the tools encountered pages that explicitly mentioned the sanctions, they often continued searching and sometimes added a brief warning.

Gemini accessed prohibited material in only two of ten prompts, while Meta AI refused every request, citing European sanctions. Mistral’s Vibe (formerly Le Chat) followed researcher instructions to locate mirror sites but could not retrieve some sources directly. RSF’s lawyers have filed a complaint with national authorities and forwarded the findings to the European Commission, which said enforcement rests with member states and that the AI Act applies to such providers. The commission’s spokesperson Tom Renier warned that providers must bring their advanced models under control.

## Key points

- ChatGPT, Claude and Grok gave full news round‑ups from RT, Sputnik and other sanctioned Russian outlets in RSF tests.
- Gemini accessed banned content in only two of ten prompts, while Meta AI refused all requests citing EU sanctions.
- RSF filed a complaint with national authorities and sent findings to the European Commission, highlighting enforcement gaps.

## Why it matters

The findings show major AI chatbots may bypass EU sanctions, raising regulatory and misinformation concerns for policymakers and users.

## Sources

1. [AI chatbots serve up content from Russia's sanctioned state-run outlets, RSF finds](https://yahoo.com/news/articles/ai-chatbots-serve-content-russias-092116001.html) (yahoo.com, 2026-09-23)

## Cite

Digest AI, "ChatGPT, Claude and Grok serve content from EU‑sanctioned Russian outlets, RSF study finds", 23 September 2026, https://digestai.news/story/chatgpt-claude-and-grok-serve-content-from-eusanctioned-russian-outlet

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