US officials ordered Anthropic to cut SK Telecom's access to Claude Mythos over alleged China ties, WIRED reports. The White House then forced both Mythos and Fable 5 offline after security flaws emerged.
Key facts
- White House ordered SK Telecom access cut over alleged China ties.
- Amazon flagged Fable 5 security flaws for bypassing guardrails.
- Both Claude Mythos and Fable 5 forced completely offline.
- Anthropic filed IPO paperwork on June 17, 2026.
- SK Group held stake in China Unicom until 2009.
The White House directly intervened in Anthropic's operations, ordering the AI company to sever SK Telecom's access to the Claude Mythos model through the partner program Project Glasswing, according to WIRED. US officials grew alarmed over what they saw as SK Telecom's alleged ties to China, though the South Korean telecom denied any such connections to a Korean newspaper.
How the Crisis Escalated
Anthropic complied immediately with the White House demand to cut off SK Telecom's access. But the situation worsened shortly after when Amazon and other companies flagged security flaws in Fable 5 that could be used to bypass safety restrictions. Together, the two incidents caused the White House to lose confidence in Anthropic and force both models completely offline, per WIRED.
SK Telecom is part of the broader SK Group, which has major business interests in China and held a stake in the state-owned carrier China Unicom until 2009. The incident occurred just days before Anthropic filed IPO paperwork on June 17, 2026, adding geopolitical risk to the company's public market debut narrative.
A Pre-IPO National Security Flashpoint
The SK Telecom episode reveals a structural vulnerability for AI companies with global partner networks: any foreign entity with Chinese business ties — even indirect or historical — can trigger White House intervention. For Anthropic, which competes with OpenAI and has taken investment from Google, the timing is particularly painful. The company filed for an IPO on June 17, and this incident will force underwriters to disclose material national security risks in its S-1 filing.
Trump administration officials told WIRED that if Anthropic wants to rerelease Fable 5, it will need to ensure the model's guardrails can't be circumvented. Security experts say that can't be done, creating a potential permanent loss of the model.
Broader Implications for AI Export Controls
The case sets a precedent: the US government is willing to intervene in private AI companies' partner programs based on indirect China exposure. Anthropic's Claude Mythos Preview, which scored 86.9% on BrowseComp and 79.6% on OSWorld-Verified, is now offline. The company has not disclosed when or if it will return.
What to watch
Watch for Anthropic's S-1 filing with the SEC, expected within weeks. The disclosure will reveal how the company quantifies national security risk from foreign partner programs — a first for an AI IPO. Also track whether SK Telecom files a formal protest with the US government.
Source: the-decoder.com
