FTC Chair Criticizes Apple News Feed for Lacking Conservative Outlets

Apple CEO Tim Cook urged to review content curation and take corrective action.

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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The chairman of the Federal Trade Commission has written to Apple CEO Tim Cook, complaining that the company's Apple News feed 'suppressed' content from conservative news outlets. FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson said while the agency is not the 'speech police,' it has the authority to protect consumers from material misrepresentations and omissions, and urged Cook to review the feed's content and make changes.

Why it matters

This dispute highlights ongoing tensions around content moderation and political bias allegations on major tech platforms. As a dominant news aggregator, Apple's curation of its News feed is under scrutiny for potentially favoring certain political viewpoints over others.

The details

According to a report by the conservative Media Research Center, none of the 620 top stories featured on the curated Apple News feed in January came from conservative media sources. Instead, the majority of stories came from 'leftist' outlets like The Associated Press, NBC News, The New York Times and The Washington Post. Right-leaning news sources like Fox News, the New York Post, the Daily Wire and Breitbart News were missing from the feed.

  • The FTC chairman's letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook was sent on February 13, 2026.

The players

Andrew Ferguson

The chairman of the Federal Trade Commission who wrote the letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook.

Tim Cook

The CEO of Apple, the company that operates the Apple News feed that is the subject of the FTC chairman's complaint.

Media Research Center

A conservative media watchdog group that published the report on the content curation of the Apple News feed.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident (San Francisco Chronicle)

What’s next

The FTC chairman's letter indicates he expects Apple to review the content curation of its News feed and take corrective action, though it's unclear what specific steps the agency may take if Apple does not comply.

The takeaway

This dispute highlights the ongoing debate around content moderation and political bias on major tech platforms. As a dominant news aggregator, Apple's curation of its News feed is under scrutiny, raising questions about how such platforms should balance fairness, transparency, and user experience.