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

FTC chair Andrew Ferguson raised concerns with Apple CEO Tim Cook in a recent letter regarding allegations that Apple News suppresses right-wing content, citing reports from the Media Research Center, a right-leaning think tank that accused the tech giant of excluding conservative outlets from the top 20 articles in its news feed. The letter marks a significant escalation in regulatory scrutiny of Apple's content curation practices, particularly as the company continues to expand its media partnerships and influence over news consumption patterns. The Media Research Center's research reportedly found that while left-leaning publications frequently appeared among the top stories in Apple News, right-wing outlets were systematically underrepresented despite their readership and engagement metrics. This development comes amid increasing pressure on major tech platforms to address perceived political bias in their content algorithms and editorial decisions, with regulators from both political parties expressing concerns about the power these companies wield over public discourse. Apple has previously maintained that its news curation is based on engagement metrics and user preferences rather than political considerations, though the company has faced similar accusations in the past regarding its App Store policies and other content platforms.