FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson is asking Tim Cook to review Apple News’ curation policies after he says the service suppresses conservative publications. Here are the details.
The FTC Chairman believes that Apple may be violating the FTC Act
A few days ago, the conservative watchdog group Media Research Center (MRC) released the results of a study that claimed that Apple “refrained from using any right-wing outlets in the top 20 articles” of “the morning edition of Apple News between January 1 and January 31, 2026.”
The study claimed that while Apple News featured stories “from elitist media outlets that amplify the left’s narrative, (…) as well as from the centers,” the same was not true of right-leaning and conservative media outlets.
FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson sent a letter to Tim Cook today suggesting that Apple News may be violating Section 5 of the FTC Act, which “prohibits unfair or deceptive acts or practices,” including material misrepresentations and omissions to consumers.
In the letter to Cook, Ferguson says that while the First Amendment “protects the speech of big tech companies,” that protection does not extend to situations that Congress may deem unfair under the FTC Act.
From the letter:
“(…) Large technology companies that suppress or promote news articles in their news aggregators based on the perceived ideological or political viewpoint of the article or publication may violate the FTC Act if the suppression or promotion (1) is inconsistent with the terms of service; (2) is inconsistent with a reasonable consumer expectation, such as non-disclosure of ideological favoritism, when substantial or non-predominant practices cannot be avoided; or (3) countervailing benefits of competition for consumers.
Ferguson goes on to point to the December 2025 MRC study, along with a NY Post story about a more recent MRC study, both of which claim that Apple News is allegedly deliberately suppressing conservative sources in favor of left-leaning publications.
Finally he tells Cook:
As Chairman of the FTC, I am writing to inform you of your obligations under the FTC Act. (…) I urge you to conduct a comprehensive review of Apple’s terms of service to ensure that the curation of articles on Apple News is consistent with these terms and the representations provided to consumers, and if they are not, to promptly take corrective action.
Apple has not yet publicly responded to Ferguson’s letter or the MRC studies.
Do you think Apple News is suppressing conservative publications? Let us know in the comments.
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