The Federal Trade Commission has formally cautioned Apple that its Apple News app could be running afoul of consumer protection laws if it is sidelining right-leaning publications, according to a sharply worded letter sent Wednesday by FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson to Apple CEO Tim Cook.

The warning followed an exclusive report by The NY Post highlighting a study that suggested the Apple News app may be favoring left-leaning outlets. President Donald Trump amplified that report on his Truth Social platform early Wednesday.

The Media Research Center, a conservative media watchdog, reviewed 620 articles that received prominent placement from Apple News editors in January. According to its findings, none of the featured stories came from outlets categorized as right-leaning.

“These reports raise serious questions about whether Apple News is acting in accordance with its terms of service and its representations to consumers,” Ferguson wrote in the Wednesday letter to Cook obtained by The NY Post.

In the same correspondence, Ferguson pressed Cook to “conduct a comprehensive review of Apple’s terms of service and ensure that Apple News’ curation of articles is consistent with those terms and representations made to consumers and, if it is not, to take corrective action swiftly.”

Ferguson referenced Section 5 of the FTC Act, which governs unfair or deceptive business practices and “prohibits unfair or deceptive acts or practices,” including “material misrepresentations and material omissions.”

“The First Amendment protects the speech of Big Tech firms,” Ferguson wrote. “But the First Amendment has never extended its protection to material misrepresentations made to consumers, nor does it immunize speakers from conduct that Congress has deemed unfair under the FTC Act, even if that conduct involves speech.”

In conducting its analysis, the Media Research Center relied on bias ratings compiled by AllSides. That organization uses a bipartisan panel made up of two members from the left, two from the center, and two from the right, all trained to evaluate media bias. It also incorporates blind surveys of everyday Americans to determine ideological leanings.

Earlier this year, in February 2025, Ferguson initiated a broader probe into alleged censorship by major technology firms. The stated aim was to “better understand how these firms may have violated the law by silencing and intimidating Americans for speaking their minds.”

“Any act or practice by Apple News to suppress or promote news articles based on the perceived ideological or political viewpoint of the article or publication, if inconsistent with Apple’s terms of service or the reasonable expectations of consumers, may violate the FTC Act,” Ferguson wrote on Wednesday.

“As an American citizen, I abhor and condemn any attempt to censor content for ideological reasons,” he added. “Such efforts, whether taken to appease overzealous activists, at the behest of foreign governments, or simply to advance the political views of Silicon Valley elites, stifle the free exchange of ideas, manipulate the public discourse and are inconsistent with American values.”

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The NY Post.

According to The Post’s earlier reporting, the Media Research Center found that of the 620 prominently featured articles in January, 440 were published by outlets rated as left-leaning, while 180 came from centrist organizations.

Apple promotes Apple News as the leading news app in the United States. The platform combines stories selected by in-house editors with content surfaced through algorithmic recommendations.

Data cited by the Media Research Center showed that in January, Apple News featured 72 articles from The Washington Post, 54 from the Associated Press, 50 from NBC News, 34 from The Guardian, and 25 from NPR. The Wall Street Journal, which is classified as centrist, had 54 articles highlighted. The app did not feature any stories from The NY Post, Fox News, or other outlets identified as right-leaning.

Responding to the watchdog group’s conclusions, an Apple spokesperson stated that the News app “provides access to news spanning a wide range of topics from more than 3,000 publications including the Wall Street Journal, Fox News, Bloomberg, USA Today, Washington Examiner, New York Post, CBS News, local outlets, and more.”

“Apple News users can tailor the app to their interests by choosing to follow or block specific publications or topics,” the spokesperson added.

{Matzav.com}