Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) on Thursday sent a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook questioning the political bias benefitting leftist outlets on the popular Apple News app.
“I write to express my concern with recent reporting that Apple News has systematically suppressed news articles from conservative publications while amplifying articles from liberal outlets,” Blackburn, the chair of the Consumer Protection, Technology, and Data Privacy subcommittee, wrote in her letter to Cook.
“The American public increasingly relies on services like Apple News to provide them with information, and they deserve to have access to perspectives across the political spectrum. To deny consumers that ability through algorithmic promotion or editorial bias is a disservice to those who use your product,” she added.
Blackburn sought answers about reported leftist bias on the Apple News app after the Media Research Center (MRC) published a report that found that zero pieces of content from center-right outlets were featured on the app, while 440 pieces of leftist content were showcased.
“Apple News is automatically installed on Apple devices and was purportedly ranked the most popular news application in the United States, Canada, and Australia in January. You have a responsibility to offer access to information without favor or bias toward one political party,” the Tennessee senator said.
Blackburn sent her letter as Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman Andrew Ferguson voiced concerns about over alleged bias in the Apple news app, suggesting it could violate Section 5 of the FTC Act, which bars unfair or deceptive practices.
“The First Amendment protects the speech of Big Tech firms. 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,” Ferguson said to Cook last week.