The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioner, who activist groups claim could be selected to chair the FCC by President-elect Donald Trump, sent a letter to Big Tech industry leaders demanding details about their censorship practices and seeking specific information about their relationship with the for-profit fact checker NewsGuard.
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr on Friday posted to the social media platform X a letter he sent to Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram; Sundar Pichai of Alphabet, which owns Google and YouTube, as well as Tim Cook of Apple and Satya Nadella of Microsoft, warning their businesses “played significant roles” in “an unprecedented surge in censorship,” which he called “improper conduct.”
“Big Tech companies silenced Americans for doing nothing more than exercising their First Amendment rights,” but often did so in conjunction with advertising companies, for-profit fact-checkers, or at the behest of the Biden-Harris administration, wrote Carr (pictured above):
Congressional investigations, press reports, and other evidence show that in many cases you did not act alone. Rather, you participated in a censorship cartel that included not only technology and social media companies but advertising, marketing, and so-called ‘fact-checking’ organizations as well as the Biden-Harris Administration itself. The relevant conduct extended from removing or blocking social media posts to labeling whole websites or apps as ‘untrustworthy’ or ‘high-risk’ in an apparent effort to suppress their information and viewpoints, including through efforts to delist them, lower their rankings, or harm their profitability. This censorship cartel is an affront to Americans’ constitutional freedoms and must be completely dismantled. Americans must be able to reclaim their right to free speech. Indeed, our democracy depends on freedom of expression.”
After warning the Big Tech executives to expect action from Congress and the Trump administration, Carr invited them to provide information about their censorship before warning that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996, which provides legal immunity to social media companies for statements written by their users, “only confers benefits on Big Tech companies when they operate, in the words of the statute, ‘in good faith.'”
Carr then specifically requested information about NewsGuard, noting the company is currently the subject of an investigation in the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Accountability. He also said that the company is advised by a member of the intelligence community who signed the letter falsely stating the Hunter Biden laptop was Russian disinformation, referring to retired General Michael Hayden.
The commissioner told the executives to provide a list of products or services they offer that rely on NewsGuard, force their users to rely on NewsGuard, the company’s impact on advertising, and identify the third-party advertising companies that work with their platforms. Carr demanded a response to his letter by December 10.
Facebook, Google, Apple, Microsoft & others have played central roles in the censorship cartel.
The Orwellian named NewsGuard along with “fact checking” groups & ad agencies helped enforce one-sided narratives.
The censorship cartel must be dismantled. pic.twitter.com/Xf0sEYOUfv
— Brendan Carr (@BrendanCarrFCC) November 15, 2024
Carr was nominated to an FCC commission by Trump in 2017 and previously worked as an aide to former FCC Chairman Ajit Pai.
After Trump won on November 5, Carr sent a letter of congratulations that promised forthcoming action against Big Tech under the new administration.
“When the transition is complete, the FCC will have an important role to play reining in Big Tech, ensuring that broadcasters operate in the public interest, and unleashing economic growth while advancing our national security interests and supporting law enforcement,” wrote Carr. “The FCC can and must deliver results for the American people.”
A post by Carr previously went viral on X after he accused President Joe Biden of orchestrating a federal crackdown against Elon Musk and his various companies after the billionaire purchased Twitter. The post specifically noted the FCC’s decision to unilaterally yank Starlink’s participation in a program to provide internet to rural Americans.
Despite the FCC revoking Starlink’s participation over purported concerns about his company’s ability to deliver, the Biden-Harris initiative has failed to provide internet access to a single rural household.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Background Photo “FCC Logo” by FCC.
