Apple CEO Tim Cook Receives Letter From FTC Chairman Over Alleged Political Bias In Apple News

Andrew Ferguson, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman, has written a letter to Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) CEO Tim Cook expressing concerns about alleged political bias in the company’s news service.

FTC Chairman Flags Political Bias in Apple News

In a letter sent to Cook on Wednesday, Ferguson raised concerns about allegations that Apple News has been systematically promoting news articles from left-wing outlets while suppressing content from conservative publications.

Ferguson, in his letter, highlighted that Apple News is a widely used news app in the U.S., and its alleged actions could potentially violate the FTC Act, which prohibits unfair or deceptive acts or practices.

In the letter, Ferguson noted that the FTC had earlier sought public comment to examine whether major tech companies are limiting or restricting consumer access to services or information based on speech or affiliations, potentially in violation of the FTC Act.

The Republican official said, “Recently, there have been reports that Apple News has systematically promoted news articles from left-wing news outlets and suppressed news articles from more conservative publications. Indeed, multiple studies have found that in recent months Apple News has chosen not to feature a single article from an American conservative-leaning news source, while simultaneously promoting hundreds of articles from liberal publications.”

Ferguson also emphasized that the FTC does not seek to police speech but is tasked with protecting consumers from material misrepresentations and omissions, including in speech-related products.

Apple at 50: Record Results

The letter from the FTC comes at a time when Apple is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

The California-based tech giant has been in the news for its record-breaking financial results and the anticipation of new smartphone releases in 2026.

Trading Metrics

Apple has a market capitalization of $4.05 trillion, with a 52-week high of $288.61 and a 52-week low of $169.21.

Price Action: According to Benzinga Pro data, AAPL closed on Thursday at $261.73, down 5%.

Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings indicate AAPL has a Quality score of 94.52.

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.