‘Censorship Cartel’: FCC Hits Liberal ‘Fact-Check’ Firm With New Investigation

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has launched a sweeping investigation into Big Tech companies and their alleged role in mass censorship of Americans, signaling a new chapter in the battle over free speech.

Commissioner Brendan Carr, a prominent voice in the push to rein in tech platforms, sent letters to the CEOs of Alphabet, Microsoft, Meta, and Apple demanding information about their partnerships with NewsGuard, a media ratings firm accused of targeting conservative viewpoints.

In his letter, Carr described the alleged actions of Big Tech as part of a “censorship cartel,” involving not only tech companies but also media monitors and even government entities. “Big Tech companies silenced Americans for doing nothing more than exercising their First Amendment rights,” Carr wrote. “They targeted core political, religious, and scientific speech.”

‘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 continued.  Carr’s letter claims these censorship efforts were not isolated incidents. Instead, he argued, they were coordinated actions that leveraged advertising, marketing, and fact-checking partnerships to suppress dissenting viewpoints.

“Congressional investigations, press reports, and other evidence show that in many cases you did not act alone. Rather, you participated in a censorship cartel that included not only technology and social media companies but advertising, marketing, and so-called ‘fact-checking’ organizations as well as the Biden-Harris Administration itself,” the letter states.

Carr’s actions are informed by studies from the Media Research Center (MRC), which claim that NewsGuard exhibits bias against conservative media. An MRC study found that NewsGuard assigned an average credibility score of 91 out of 100 to left-leaning outlets, while right-leaning outlets received an average score of 65, indicating a 26-point disparity.

Carr specifically criticized NewsGuard, calling the firm “Orwellian” and accusing it of acting as a gatekeeper for acceptable media. He highlighted allegations that NewsGuard penalized outlets reporting on issues such as the COVID-19 lab leak theory and downplayed American publications while giving favorable ratings to foreign state propaganda.

NewsGuard’s partnerships with tech giants are now under fire. Carr’s letter requests detailed information about how companies like Alphabet and Microsoft integrate NewsGuard into their products and services, including advertising systems and web browsers.

“For one, reports indicate that NewsGuard has consistently rated official propaganda from the Communist Party of China as more credible than American publications,” Carr wrote. “For another, NewsGuard aggressively fact-checked and penalized websites that reported on the COVID-19 lab leak theory.”

Carr also pointed to the House Oversight and Accountability Committee’s ongoing investigation into NewsGuard, alleging the organization’s practices have a chilling effect on free speech. “NewsGuard undercuts this claim by retaining on its Advisory Board at least one person that signed the now infamous October 2020 letter… that flamed the false claim that the Hunter Biden laptop story was Russian disinformation.”

The investigation aims at the protections granted to tech platforms under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. Carr noted that these protections hinge on companies acting in “good faith,” a standard he suggested NewsGuard’s actions might not meet.

“To help inform FCC action, please provide me with the following,” Carr wrote, listing requests for product details, advertising relationships, and the extent of NewsGuard’s integration into their services.

Carr closed his letter with a stark warning: “This censorship cartel is an affront to Americans’ constitutional freedoms and must be completely dismantled. Americans must be able to reclaim their right to free speech. Indeed, our democracy depends on freedom of expression.”

Responses from the CEOs are expected by December 10.

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