Apple News accused of lack of conservative stories
The chairman of the Federal Trade Commission has raised concerns with Apple Inc. over allegations that its Apple News app favored left-leaning outlets while excluding conservative publications, Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
In a letter to Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook, FTC Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson said recent reports suggest Apple News may have systematically promoted stories from left wing outlets and suppressed content from conservative sources. If true, he wrote, such practices could violate Section 5 of the FTC Act, which bans unfair or deceptive conduct.
Ferguson said Apple News comes preinstalled on many iPhones and iPads and is widely used in the United States. He warned that promoting or suppressing articles based on political viewpoint could break the law if it conflicts with Apple’s own terms of service or misleads consumers about how content is selected.
The letter follows a study by the Media Research Center, a conservative watchdog group, which reviewed 620 top stories featured on Apple News during morning hours in January 2026. According to the study, 440 stories came from outlets rated as left-leaning, 180 from centrist outlets and none from right-leaning publications.
The group said Apple News featured 72 articles from The Washington Post, 54 from The Associated Press and 50 from NBC News in January. It reported zero stories from conservative outlets such as Fox News and the New York Post during that period.
Researchers relied on media bias ratings from AllSides, a nonpartisan group that evaluates outlets using panels made up of members from the left, center and right, as well as public surveys.
Ferguson stressed that the FTC does not police speech or require companies to promote particular viewpoints. However, he said companies can face legal risk if they make material misrepresentations or fail to disclose practices that could mislead consumers. He urged Apple to review its policies and ensure its news curation matches its public commitments.
The issue comes as federal regulators appointed by President Donald Trump step up scrutiny of alleged political bias in major technology platforms.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Apple Foundation Models would be built on Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence models and cloud technology.
