FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr launches a scathing attack on Big Tech, accusing four major companies of forming a ‘censorship cartel’ that silences American voices.
At a Glance
- FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr accuses Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft, and Apple of censorship
- Carr claims these companies worked with ‘media monitors’ to censor speech on politics, science, and religion
- The commissioner requests information on the companies’ use of NewsGuard by December 10
- President-elect Trump plans to appoint Carr as FCC chairman to target Big Tech censorship
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioner Brendan Carr has taken aim at four of the biggest names in tech – and it was completely unexpected. Carr has accused Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft, and Apple of forming what he calls a “censorship cartel,” allegedly working in concert to silence American voices and manipulate online discourse.
He’s right about that.
Carr’s accusations are not just idle chatter. He’s taken the extraordinary step of sending letters to the CEOs of these tech giants, demanding information about their use of NewsGuard, a controversial organization that rates the credibility of news outlets. This move signals a potential sea change in how the government might approach regulating Big Tech in the future.
The Censorship Mechanism
According to Carr, these tech behemoths have been working behind the scenes with so-called “media monitors” to censor speech related to politics, science, and religion. The commissioner alleges that these companies have gone beyond mere content moderation, actively defunding and demonetizing news outlets that dared to deviate from approved narratives.
“Over the past few years, Americans have lived through an unprecedented surge in censorship. Your companies played significant roles in this improper conduct. Big Tech companies silenced Americans for doing nothing more than exercising their First Amendment rights,” Carr said.
Nail. On. Head.
This alleged censorship extends beyond just removing or blocking social media posts. Carr claims these companies have been labeling certain websites as “untrustworthy,” effectively deciding which voices get amplified and which get silenced. It’s a troubling accusation that strikes at the heart of our democratic values and the principle of free speech.
The Role of NewsGuard
At the center of this controversy is NewsGuard, an organization Carr describes as left-wing and involved in targeting conservative voices online. The commissioner has requested detailed information from the tech companies about their collaboration with NewsGuard, setting a December 10 deadline for responses.
“They targeted core political, religious and scientific speech. And they worked—often in concert with so-called ‘media monitors’ and others—to defund, demonetize, and otherwise put out of business news outlets and organizations that dared to deviate from an approved narrative,” Carr said.
Carr’s criticism of NewsGuard is particularly scathing. He points out its problematic track record, including instances where it rated Chinese propaganda as more credible than American publications. This raises serious questions about the criteria used to determine the trustworthiness of news sources and the potential for bias in these evaluations.
The timing of Carr’s actions is significant, coming as it does with the announcement that President-elect Donald Trump plans to appoint him as chairman of the FCC. This move signals a clear intent to scrutinize and potentially regulate Big Tech’s influence on public discourse.
“Commissioner Carr is a warrior for Free Speech, and has fought against the regulatory Lawfare that stifled Americans’ Freedoms and held back our economy,” Trump recently said.
This is a great sign of things to come.
