FTC Chair Demands Apple Review News Bias After Zero Conservative Stories Featured

Zero. That's how many conservative-leaning news stories appeared in Apple News' featured section during a 620-article sample from January mornings. Now the Federal Trade Commission wants answers.

FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson fired off a letter directly to Apple CEO Tim Cook on Wednesday, demanding a "comprehensive review" of Apple News' curation practices after allegations of systematic political bias. The letter, posted on X, cited "recent reports" that Apple News promotes left-leaning outlets while suppressing conservative content.

Apple declined to comment on the letter.

The Numbers Don't Lie

The smoking gun comes from the conservative Media Research Center, which analyzed Apple News' morning featured stories throughout January. Their finding: outlets rated as right-leaning by AllSides media bias ratings were completely shut out of the featured section across 620 stories.

President Trump amplified the controversy by sharing a New York Post write-up of the study on his Truth Social platform early Wednesday. The timing isn't coincidental—the White House launched a "media bias" section on its website in December, complete with an "offender hall of shame" naming weekly stories the administration deems misleading.

Legal Gray Area

Here's where it gets interesting: Ferguson acknowledges Apple has every legal right to curate however it wants. "We do not have the authority to require Apple or any other firm to take affirmative positions on any political issue," he wrote.

So why is the FTC getting involved? The hook lies in Section 5 of the FTC Act. If Apple's curation "is contrary to consumers' reasonable expectations such that failure to disclose the ideological favoritism is a material omission," the company could be in violation.

In other words, the issue isn't bias itself—it's undisclosed bias that misleads consumers who expect neutrality.

Apple's Balancing Act

This challenge comes at a delicate time for Apple. The company has largely weathered Trump's second-term tariff threats and manufacturing demands better than expected. Cook even hand-delivered a gold-and-glass trophy to Trump in the Oval Office last August, pledging another $100 billion for U.S. manufacturing.

But this FTC letter represents a different kind of pressure—one that strikes at the heart of how tech platforms moderate content and shape information flow.

The Bigger Platform Problem

Apple News isn't alone in facing bias allegations. Every major platform—from Facebook to YouTube to Google News—grapples with accusations of political favoritism. The fundamental challenge: algorithms and human curation inevitably involve editorial choices, but platforms often present themselves as neutral conduits.

The Media Research Center study, while from a partisan source, raises legitimate questions about transparency. If platforms are making editorial decisions, shouldn't users know the criteria?