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How to File a Complaint About a Harmful or Unsafe AI System

There is no universal AI complaint office. Match the reported harm and location to the relevant regulator, preserve evidence, and keep confirmation details.

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There is no single complaint office for every AI system. Choose a route based on where the harm occurred and what happened: an alleged EU AI Act violation, discrimination, deceptive business conduct, a financial-services problem, or an unsafe consumer product may belong with different authorities. The routes below cover the European Union and selected U.S. federal agencies; elsewhere, check the relevant national or local regulator.

Choose the complaint route that matches the harm

Describe the concrete event rather than relying only on the word “AI.” A denied job, benefit, loan, or service; an allegedly discriminatory classification; a deceptive business practice; and an unsafe physical product point to different complaint processes. The fact that a system used AI does not, by itself, establish which authority has jurisdiction or that the system caused the outcome.

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Where and what happened Possible route Who can use it and what to expect
Alleged infringement of the EU AI Act within the AI Office’s exclusive competence European Commission AI Act Complaints Tool Individuals and organisations can submit an identified complaint. Provide the country and a detailed description; relevant documents may be attached. The tool requires identifying and contact details and returns a reference number.
Information about a concern involving a provider of a general-purpose AI model or another AI system within the AI Office’s remit European Commission AI whistleblower channel For people professionally connected to the relevant provider or deployer who meet the channel’s eligibility conditions. It allows anonymous reports, supporting documents, and follow-up through a secure inbox; it is not a general public complaint form.
An alleged violation of AI Act Articles 53–55 by a general-purpose AI model provider European Commission downstream-provider complaint channel For a downstream provider using a general-purpose AI model. The complaint is identified, and submitting one does not automatically open proceedings.
Discrimination or another civil-rights violation in areas such as employment, education, housing, businesses, public spaces, benefits, or government services U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Reporting Portal Report the civil-rights concern to DOJ. You may leave contact details blank, but doing so may limit the department’s ability to pursue the matter.
A business’s potentially fraudulent or deceptive practice U.S. Federal Trade Commission, ReportFraud.ftc.gov FTC guidance directs consumers to this reporting site for suspected fraud or deception by a business. The FTC Office of Inspector General is for misconduct involving the FTC or its programs, not ordinary complaints about companies.
A problem with a consumer financial product or service U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau complaint program Use for an issue involving a consumer financial product or service, not as a general AI complaint portal.
An unsafe consumer product U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, SaferProducts Use SaferProducts to report an unsafe product. The CPSC Office of Inspector General hotline is for wrongdoing at the CPSC itself.

Prepare a clear, useful account

Before submitting, make a short timeline and collect records relevant to the route you selected. Include:

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  • When and where the incident happened, and where you live if relevant.
  • The organisation that used or supplied the system, and the product or service name and version if known.
  • What the system appeared to do, the decision or event that followed, and the specific harm or risk.
  • Any steps you took to ask the organisation to correct or explain the outcome, and its response.
  • Relevant original notices, messages, decisions, forms, screenshots, or system outputs. Keep dated copies where possible.

Separate what you observed from what you infer. For example, say that a decision followed an automated assessment if that is what you know; do not state that AI caused the decision unless you have evidence for that connection. Avoid posting sensitive personal information publicly, and attach only material relevant to the authority’s process.

Submit through the selected authority and keep the record

Use the official portal named for the route, describe the events plainly, and attach supporting documents where the process allows. For the European Commission AI Act Complaints Tool, identify the country and describe the alleged infringement. The Commission states that complaints must concern systems under the AI Office’s exclusive competence and fall within Article 85 of the AI Act. It may tell you if the matter is outside its remit and, where appropriate and with your prior consent, refer it to a relevant authority.

Save a copy of what you submitted, the uploaded files, any confirmation, and the reference number. The Commission specifically advises complainants to retain their reference number for later communication. If an agency asks for more information, respond with a concise timeline and the records that address its request.

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What to expect—and what a complaint cannot promise

A submission is a way to bring an issue to an authority’s attention, not a guarantee of an investigation, enforcement action, or individual remedy. The Commission says that a downstream-provider complaint does not automatically open proceedings; other agencies have their own scopes and processes. Filing with the wrong office can delay routing, so check the route’s stated remit and use the concrete harm to guide your choice.

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If there is imminent danger in the United States, the Department of Justice directs people to call 911. The federal routes above do not establish the emergency number or correct regulator for other countries, nor do they cover every U.S. state or local complaint process. Procedures and jurisdiction can change; the official guidance described here was reviewed as of October 7, 2026.

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