### Incoming FCC Chairman Probes Big Tech Over Allegations of Censorship

Brendan Carr, the newly appointed Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman, has launched an investigation into major technology companies over their alleged involvement in a "censorship cartel" aimed at curbing dissenting speech. Carr, described by President-elect Trump as a "warrior for free speech," has sent letters to top executives at Google, Microsoft, Meta, and Apple demanding transparency regarding their relationship with NewsGuard, a for-profit fact-checking firm.

Dated November 13, just days before Trump announced Carr's promotion from FCC's senior Republican commissioner to its chairman, the letters seek detailed information on whether these companies require their users to rely on NewsGuard for content verification. They are expected to respond by December 10.

Specifically, Carr has raised questions about how these companies may collaborate with NewsGuard and other similar organizations to potentially "defund, demonetize, and otherwise put out of business news outlets and organizations that dared to deviate from an approved narrative." Carr argues that such actions violate Americans' constitutional rights and must be thoroughly investigated.

NewsGuard has refuted Carr's allegations, stating that their operations "do not involve any censorship or blocking of speech at all." They assert that the claims in Carr's letter are based on unreliable sources.

Carr's probe could have significant ramifications, particularly concerning Section 230, a controversial law that grants tech companies immunity from liabilities related to third-party content posted on their platforms. Carr emphasized that Section 230 protections apply only if companies are acting "in good faith."

In addition, Carr's letter to these tech giants referenced an ongoing House Oversight Committee investigation into NewsGuard. He highlighted the involvement of a NewsGuard advisory board member who previously signed an October 2020 letter, claimed by Carr to have misled the public about the Hunter Biden laptop story by labeling it as Russian disinformation.

Google and Meta have responded to Carr's queries. Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda stated that the company does not use NewsGuard services and aims to provide a wide range of perspectives. Meta acknowledged the letter but clarified that NewsGuard is not one of its fact-checking partners. In August, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg told the House Judiciary Committee that his company faced pressure from senior Biden administration officials to censor content related to the coronavirus pandemic in 2021, and he expressed regret over Facebook's suppression of the Hunter Biden laptop story in 2020.

Microsoft declined to comment, while Apple did not respond to requests for comments.

Carr has been an FCC commissioner since 2017, with his term set to run through 2029. President-elect Trump praised Carr's commitment to upholding free speech and his efforts to combat regulatory practices that Trump argues have hindered economic growth and innovation.

Carr’s plans to dismantle what he terms as a "censorship cartel" underscore his commitment to ensuring free speech protection, particularly as the nation moves towards the 2024 election. His criticism of NBC's decision to let Vice President Kamala Harris appear on "Saturday Night Live," calling it an effort to bypass the Equal Time rule, further underscores his stance on media neutrality.