Apple News: FTC investigates political bias

Apple News is currently at the center of a political and regulatory debate in the US. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman Andrew Ferguson has sent an official letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook. This follows allegations that Apple News discriminates against conservative publications in its content selection. The question at hand is whether Apple may have violated Section 5 of the FTC Act, which prohibits "unfair or misleading actions or practices" toward consumers.

The starting point for the current discussion is a study by the conservative monitoring organization Media Research Center (MRC). A few days ago, the organization published a study on reporting in Apple News during the period from January 1st to 31st, 2026.

According to the study, Apple "did not use any right-wing media in the top 20 articles of the morning editions of Apple News between January 1 and 31, 2026". Instead, articles "from elite media outlets that reinforce left-wing narratives, [...] as well as from centrist media" were represented. Right-wing and conservative media outlets, on the other hand, were not included.

In his letter, Ferguson also refers to an earlier MRC study from December 2025, which likewise alleged bias against conservative media. He additionally cites a New York Post article that reported on the more recent MRC study and addressed the allegations.

So far, Apple has not publicly commented on either the studies or the allegations.

FTC chairman sees potential violation of the law

In his letter, Andrew Ferguson suggests that Apple News may have violated Section 5 of the FTC Act with its curation practices. This provision prohibits unfair or misleading acts or practices in business dealings, including material misrepresentations or omissions to consumers.

In his letter, Ferguson clarifies that while the First Amendment to the US Constitution protects the freedom of expression of large technology companies, this protection is not unlimited. If certain practices are deemed unfair by Congress under the FTC Act, this protection may be restricted.

When would the suppression of political content be unlawful?

Ferguson specifies under what circumstances ideologically motivated promotion or suppression of content by Apple News could violate the law.

According to this, large technology companies that promote or suppress news articles in aggregators or feeds based on perceived ideological or political leanings could violate the FTC Act if:

this practice is not in accordance with your own terms of service,
it contradicts the reasonable expectations of consumers, so that the failure to disclose an ideological bias constitutes a material omission, or
These practices cause significant harm that is neither reasonably avoidable nor offset by any countervailing benefits to consumers or competition.

This shifts the focus of the debate not only to political orientation, but also to transparency, consumer information and potential economic impacts.

Demand for a comprehensive review

At the end of his letter, Ferguson explicitly informs Tim Cook of Apple's obligations under the FTC Act. As chairman of the FTC, he calls on Apple to conduct a comprehensive review of its own terms of service.

Specifically, he demands that Apple News ensure its article selection complies with these terms and conditions and with the representations made to consumers. If this is not the case, Apple should take immediate corrective action.

The letter is therefore not only a political critique, but a formal request for an internal review and, if necessary, an adjustment of existing practices.

Apple News between regulation and responsibility

At present, Apple has not publicly responded to either Andrew Ferguson's letter or the MRC studies. It is not yet known whether the FTC will initiate formal proceedings.

The allegations concern a sensitive area: Digital news platforms like Apple News play a central role in the selection and presentation of content. The question of whether and to what extent political bias is at play here has implications for both media policy and consumer law.

How the situation develops depends largely on whether Apple responds to the FTC's demands and whether the agency takes further action. One thing is certain: Apple News is currently under close scrutiny. (Image: prykhodov / DepositPhotos.com)