US FTC airs concerns over allegations that Apple News suppresses right-wing content

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has raised concerns implicit allegations that Apple is censoring blimpish contented connected the Apple News app.

In a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook, FTC seat Andrew Ferguson cited reports from Media Research Center, a right-leaning deliberation tank, which accused Apple of excluding right-leaning outlets from the apical 20 articles successful the Apple News feed.

“These reports rise superior questions astir whether Apple News is acting successful accordance with its presumption of work and its representations to consumers […] I abhor and condemn immoderate effort to censor contented for ideological reasons,” Ferguson’s missive reads.

Ferguson, a Big Tech professional who Trump appointed to pb the contention regulator, noted the FTC doesn’t person immoderate powers to necessitate Apple to instrumentality ideological oregon governmental positions erstwhile curating news, but helium said that if the company’s practices are “inconsistent” its presumption of work oregon “reasonable expectations of consumers,” they whitethorn beryllium successful usurpation of the FTC Act.

Brendan Carr, the president of the Federal Communications Commission (another Trump appointee captious of Big Tech), supported Ferguson’s stance, writing, “Apple has nary close to suppress blimpish viewpoints successful usurpation of the FTC Act.”

Ferguson has urged Apple to behaviour a “comprehensive review” of its presumption of work and guarantee that the contented curated connected Apple News is accordant with its policies, and “take corrective enactment swiftly” if the curation isn’t successful line.

The missive comes a time aft President Donald Trump shared the study by Media Research Center connected his societal media platform, Truth Social. Trump has repeatedly accused Big Tech companies of censoring right-leaning content, though galore large platforms person rolled backmost respective measures to curb fake quality and disinformation they had imposed successful the years anterior to his 2nd stint astatine the White House.

Apple’s narration with the Trump medication has oscillated betwixt lukewarm and acold implicit the past year. Trump has criticized Big Tech, particularly Apple, for manufacturing its devices successful China, but aft Cook promised to walk more than $600 billion implicit the adjacent 4 years Stateside and moved to mend fences, relations betwixt the Administration and the institution have improved. Apple besides dodged planned tariffs connected smartphones made overseas and imported into the U.S.

The FTC past twelvemonth besides launched an probe into “censorship by tech platforms,” seeking input from the nationalist who felt they were silenced owed to their governmental ideologies oregon affiliations. “Tech firms should not beryllium bullying their users,” Ferguson said astatine the time. “This enquiry volition assistance the FTC amended recognize however these firms whitethorn person violated the instrumentality by silencing and intimidating Americans for speaking their minds.”

Apple did not instantly instrumentality a petition for comment.