FTC Warns Apple on News App Curation Practices

The Federal Trade Commission has warned Apple that its curation practices for the Apple News app may violate consumer protection laws by potentially suppressing stories from conservative media outlets, prompting a call for an internal review.

FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson sent a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook on Wednesday, citing a study by the Media Research Center that analyzed featured stories on the platform in January 2026. The study examined 620 top stories in high-traffic morning editions from January 1 to 31 and found that none originated from right-leaning sources such as Fox News, the New York Post, the Daily Wire, Breitbart News, or the Daily Mail. Instead, the majority came from outlets including The Associated Press, NBC News, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and Reuters, which the study categorized as left-leaning or centrist.

Ferguson argued in the letter that such practices could breach Section 5 of the FTC Act, which prohibits unfair or deceptive acts, including material misrepresentations or omissions to consumers. He emphasized that while the agency does not regulate speech or act as a "speech police," it must ensure companies do...