FTC Questions Apple Over News App Bias Claims

Clear Facts

• The FTC sent a letter to Apple about alleged political bias in its news curation app.
• FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson warned Apple News may violate the FTC Act.
• A study found Apple News featured no right-leaning outlets in 620 reviewed stories.

The Federal Trade Commission sent a formal letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook highlighting concerns over possible political bias in Apple News. FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson stated these practices may constitute unfair or deceptive acts under the FTC Act.

“The First Amendment protects the speech of Big Tech firms. But the First Amendment has never extended its protection to material misrepresentations made to consumers, nor does it immunize speakers from conduct that Congress has deemed unfair under the FTC Act, even if that conduct involves speech,” Ferguson told Cook.

The letter explained that suppressing or promoting news based on political viewpoints may breach the platform’s own terms and mislead consumers. Ferguson said the FTC is not seeking to control political viewpoints but is working to ensure consumers receive honest representation in news curation.

“The FTC is not the speech police; we do not have authority to require Apple or any other firm to take affirmative positions on any political issue, nor to curate news offerings consistent with one ideology or another. But Congress has mandated that we protect consumers from material misrepresentations and omissions, including when the product or service offered to consumers is a speech-related product,” Ferguson wrote.

Ferguson urged Cook to review Apple’s policies and make changes if violations are found.

According to a study by Media Research Center, of 620 stories featured on Apple News in January, 440 were from left-leaning sources, 180 from centrist sources, and none from right-leaning outlets. Apple and Tim Cook have not responded to requests for comment.

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