Critics are raising concerns about the Apple News app, particularly its perceived bias in content. A recent study indicated that the app, which is pre-installed on every iPhone in the U.S., primarily features news from liberal outlets.
In 2017, Apple appointed Lauren Kahn, known for her work at liberal magazines, as the app’s editor-in-chief. Kahn has previously held the editor-in-chief position at New York Magazine and was deputy editor at The New York Times Magazine. In a notable 2018 article, The New York Times highlighted her role in overseeing a team that curates news for millions of readers.
“We were very careful and thoughtful in our curation,” Kahn remarked, noting their responsibility in this role. At that time, Apple reported over 100 million monthly active users in the U.S., U.K., Australia, and Canada, suggesting significant influence within the media landscape.
While The Times noted that Apple News had managed to avoid major controversies due to human editors like Kahn, recent findings have raised questions about its impartiality.
The Media Research Center, a conservative group, examined articles on Apple News during January and found that out of 620 articles, 440 were from left-leaning sources, while 180 came from centrist ones. Alarmingly, none were sourced from right-leaning media.
This research caught the attention of FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson, who sent a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook, expressing concerns that Apple News might be violating FTC regulations against unfair or deceptive practices.
Ferguson pointed out that while the First Amendment protects the speech of tech companies, it doesn’t shield them from material misrepresentations, nor does it excuse them from engaging in conduct deemed unfair by Congress.
Despite these issues, both Apple and Kahn have not commented on the situation.
