Trump FTC Targets Apple News Over Alleged ‘Left-Wing Bias’
The Federal Trade Commission, under Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson, has issued a warning letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook regarding potential political bias in the Apple News app. The letter, dated February 12, 2026, alleges that Apple News may be “systematically boosting left-wing sources and suppressing right-wing sources,” potentially violating the FTC Act.
The inquiry stems from a report by the Media Research Center, a conservative media watchdog, which analyzed 620 stories featured in Apple News during January. The MRC report claimed that none of the top stories originated from conservative media outlets, while a majority came from sources like The Associated Press, NBC News, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. Right-leaning sources such as Fox News, the New York Post, the Daily Wire, and Breitbart News were reportedly absent from the curated news feed.
Chairman Ferguson, in his letter to Cook, stated that the FTC is not the “speech police,” but has a responsibility to protect consumers from “material misrepresentations and omissions.” He urged Apple to review its content curation practices and “take corrective action swiftly” if conservative news sources are being unfairly excluded. The FTC warned that such practices could be considered unfair or deceptive acts, violating Section 5 of the FTC Act.
Apple has not yet publicly responded to the FTC’s letter. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CBS News, and a similar request from the Associated Press went unanswered as of Thursday.
The move by the FTC follows a report circulated by President Donald Trump raising questions about Apple News’ practices, according to CBS News. This action marks a notable instance of scrutiny towards Apple during Tim Cook’s tenure, despite his attendance at Trump’s second term inauguration last year, as noted by the Associated Press.
The FTC’s warning has raised questions about the intersection of content curation, political bias, and antitrust law. The agency cited research from AllSides, a company that rates the perceived political bias of online publications, as used by the Media Research Center in its analysis.
The letter from Ferguson reminds Cook of Apple’s obligations to its customers, suggesting that selective inclusion of news sources could “stifle the free exchange of ideas, manipulate the public discourse and are inconsistent with American values.”