Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson has accused Apple of violating US law by suppressing conservative-leaning news outlets on Apple News. Ferguson pointed to research by a pro-Trump group that accused Apple News of suppressing articles by Fox News, the New York Post, Daily Mail, Breitbart, and The Gateway Pundit.

The FTC chair claims that Apple News might be violating promises made to consumers in its terms of service, but his letter doesn't cite any specific provisions from the Apple terms that might have been violated. Ferguson wrote that reports raise serious questions about whether Apple News is acting in accordance with its terms of service and its representations to consumers, as well as the reasonable consumer expectations of the tens of millions of Americans who use Apple News.

Craig Aaron, president and co-CEO of media advocacy group Free Press, told Ars that Ferguson's letter would be laughable if it weren't so dangerous. This is what government censorship looks like. Ferguson's claims of course aren't based on any facts or evidence, just innuendo from discredited partisan operatives who think The Wall Street Journal is too woke.