Apple News is an aggregator app run by human curators and algorithmic feeds, but a poorly done study failed to capture shared right-wing sources, and now the FTC is involved.
Whether or not the FTC can claim jurisdiction over what content can be highlighted by an independent editorial team is debatable, but the content of the Apple News app is not. Right-leaning outlets are sometimes featured in the curated sections of Top Stories and Spotlight, but one study somehow missed it.
The study was cited by various right-wing sources and shared by the president on his personal social media platform, but none specified exactly how the study reached its conclusion. The news has now led Trump-appointed FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson to send a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook to warn him that Apple may be breaking the law.
Today I sent a letter to Tim Cook expressing my concern about allegations that Apple News, unknown to its users, systematically promotes news stories from left-wing news sources and suppresses content from conservative publications. pic.twitter.com/xXCxNgRbpc
— Andrew Ferguson (@AFergusonFTC) February 11, 2026
Freedom of speech and the press clearly do not apply when discussing a news aggregator owned by a technology company, although such a proposition would have to hold up in court. Ferguson argues that Apple could have been found guilty of attempting to manipulate its customers with left-wing views and propaganda.
Specifically, it cites Section 5 of the FTC Act, which “prohibits unfair or deceptive acts or practices” including “material misrepresentations and material omissions.” The argument is that Apple claims neutrality in its terms of service, and this news is proof that it isn’t.
Of course, this is all based on a report that isn’t fully representative of Apple News, so there probably aren’t many cases here. Let’s dive into the studio.
The right-wing watchdog cries wolf
A free speech and censorship watchdog called the MRC apparently released a study in which they opened Apple News at either 10:30am or 8:30am every day in January and noted which outlets had the best news slots. The group’s executive team is a number of right-leaning people with backgrounds in politics and business, and their website appears to be a combination of extreme headlines and little sales.
Graphic from flawed study showing Apple News bias. Image source: MRC
The study is flawed at first glance. She claimed to use the AllSides Media Bias Chart to determine which outlets were left or right and then listed which notable outlets were considered.
The study said it looked for outlets like Daily Mail and New York Postwhich both publish on the platform. However, the study also said it looked for content from Breitbart gold Gate — none of them publish on Apple News.
The methodology was very strange because it could mean that if Fox News evening contributions were featured, morning study review would miss them. A quick look at this writing shows a Fox News story in the featured section, which was posted around 5 p.m. ET.
A closer look at Apple News shows that its editors are sharing right-wing media in “Top Apple News Stories,” even during the study’s time frame. Even the email newsletter and the heavily curated “Apple News Spotlight” feature Fox News regularly.
The Top Stories section also featured posts from The Wall Street Journalwhich is listed as right-wing on the media bias scale, at least for its opinion section.
Apple’s editorial team stays on topic
Apple hasn’t said how it selects its stories for its Top Stories section, but from my use of Apple News, it always seems to align with what the world is discussing. There’s also a Politics tab in Apple News that prominently features stories from places like Free press.
Apple News’ top stories feature a variety of publications
The surface study also did not share that the center and left center outlets primarily use Apple News over the right ones. Of the long list of most extreme outlets, only a few use Apple News.
Also, the time period of the study was incredibly busy in the United States. Discussions revolved around the removal of historical monuments in the US, the anniversary of the January 6 riots and the increasing activity of ICE in the United States.
During that time, the outlets like it Fox News they sent highly controversial and unpopular, if not downright inflammatory, stories about the goings-on. Apple News may or may not be biased, but it clearly wants to present information that doesn’t contradict reality.
It doesn’t help that the study took place at a time when Republican politics and the approval ratings of the US president are at an all-time low. Right-wing vendors try to avoid this, which is current news, and thus drop out of the conversation.
Whatever the reason, the study seems short-sighted and limited in scope. The FTC Chair jumping on the bandwagon was expected, but it’s unclear what effect it might have.
Investigations and lawsuits are possible, but Tim Cook could wave another few billion in the air and make it all go away, too. Or, if Apple is feeling pressured by the FTC, it wouldn’t take much to get the moderate story out of right-wing outlets more often.
It’s a news aggregator, use it
Whatever your political views, you can easily customize Apple News to show you what you want. Customize the algorithm with thumbs up and down, bookmark stories and block entire channels if you want.
More importantly, if you want Apple News to only show you publications you follow and remove all Apple editorial content, there’s a way to do that.
Go to the Settings app, select Apps at the very bottom of the list, select Apple News, then toggle “Limit Stories Today.” This makes everything but what you’re watching disappear, but it’s a much more limited experience overall.
Of course, if you don’t like what Apple News editors share, you can always use one of the many other news aggregators and RSS apps in the App Store. Apple does not force the app or its content on anyone, and it can be easily deleted from your device.