The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has reached out to Apple regarding concerns about potential political bias within the Apple News app.
In a letter sent to Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson expressed that Apple News might be infringing Section 5 of the FTC Act, which stands against unfair or misleading practices.
“While the First Amendment safeguards the speech of major tech firms, it does not shield them from materially misrepresenting facts to consumers or exempt them from conduct considered unfair under the FTC Act, even if it relates to speech,” Ferguson stated in his communication with Cook.
Ferguson elaborated that if a big tech company either promotes or suppresses news articles based on the political perspective of the content, such actions may be against the law if they do not adhere to the Terms of Service. He mentioned that these actions could also violate consumer expectations or cause significant harm if they fail to disclose any ideological bias.
The chairman pointed out that the alleged bias in Apple News’ algorithm might be inconsistent with the platform’s own guidelines for users. He emphasized that the FTC does not oversee speech but has a responsibility to protect consumers from significant misrepresentations or omissions, especially when it comes to products or services that involve speech.
In his letter, Ferguson encouraged Cook to reevaluate Apple’s terms of service thoroughly and to act quickly if they find any violations.
As of now, Cook or any Apple representatives haven’t commented on the FTC’s claims.
Interestingly, a recent study from a conservative group, the Media Research Center, analyzed the content represented on Apple News, which comes pre-installed on Apple devices. The research found that out of 620 articles published in January, 440 were from left-leaning sources, 180 were from centrist ones, and there were no pieces from right-wing outlets.
