The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has sent a formal warning letter to Apple CEO, raising concerns that Apple News may be favoring certain political viewpoints over others.
In the letter, FTC Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson cautioned that if reports of ideological favoritism are accurate, the company could be at risk of violating consumer protection law. The concern centers on whether Apple’s content curation aligns with what the company promises users and what consumers reasonably expect from the service.
Watchdog report raises red flags
Ferguson’s concerns stem from research conducted by the Media Research Center, a conservative media watchdog organization.
The group analyzed more than 600 stories featured in Apple News feeds between Jan. 1 and Jan. 31, finding that over 400 came from outlets it classified as left-leaning. According to the analysis, right-leaning news sources failed to appear in users’ digital feeds during that period.
“These reports raise serious questions about whether Apple News is acting in accordance with its terms of service and its representations to consumers, as well as the reasonable consumer expectations of the tens of millions of Americans who use Apple News,” Ferguson wrote.
The Chairman laid out the legal framework behind the agency’s concerns in his letter and warned that Big Tech companies could be in hot water if their news feeds are inconsistent with their own terms of service, contrary to what a “reasonable” customer would expect, and causing “substantial injury” to consumers or competition.
Despite the strong language, the agency acknowledged it cannot dictate editorial positions or force ideological balance.
“The FTC is not the speech police,” Ferguson wrote. “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.”
Apple’s stance
Apple has not yet issued a formal response to the letter, though the company has historically defended its news app by saying it focuses on “quality” journalism. The company typically says its curation, which uses both human editors and algorithms, is designed to weed out factual inaccuracies and clickbait rather than silence specific political views.
The FTC has now urged Apple to “conduct a comprehensive review” of how the app selects its stories to ensure they align with the promises it makes to its millions of users.
Meanwhile, CEO Tim Cook has been carefully navigating his company’s relationship with the Trump administration. According to the BBC, Cook has donated at least $1 million to Trump and last year presented the president with a unique glass-and-24-karat-gold sculpture.
Cook has been a frequent presence at White House events during Trump’s second term, most recently attending a private screening of the film “Melania,” which documents First Lady Melania Trump.
