Apple News’s bias against right-leaning media outlets has become more and more evident — and MRC studies suggest that this may be by design, prompting MRC President David Bozell to call for a federal investigation.
In a recent letter to FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson Bozell urged an investigation of Apple for potential anti-competitive behavior, highlighting MRC’s troubling findings on Apple News’s curation practices. Bozell noted in his letter that while left-leaning media dominate Apple News, rampant anti-conservative bias is only the beginning of the problem.
Despite what Apple claims, its app promotes a massive imbalance of content favoring the left, and it is exceedingly difficult for excluded right-leaning outlets to join the ranks of the app’s curated content, if they can join it at all. Apple also makes it virtually impossible for users to block perspectives they do not desire to see. Further still, Apple may have run afoul of federal competition law by giving its app preferential treatment.
In light of these concerns, Bozell asked that the FTC investigate whether Apple made misleading representations and is engaging in potentially anti-competitive behavior:
“This request is based on evidence suggesting that Apple has made materially misleading representations to both consumers and news publishers regarding key features and policies governing its news app, Apple News. These representations concern: (1) whether users are able to block specific media outlets from appearing in their Apple News feeds, (2) whether outside publishers may apply for inclusion in the Apple News application, (3) whether Apple creates confusion for consumers about the diversity of viewpoints reflected in the app and (4) whether Apple violated federal competition law, including potential tying or exclusionary practices, in preferencing Apple News on Apple devices.”
Apple responded to MRC’s viral January study “asserting that users ‘can tailor the app to their interests by choosing to follow or block specific publications or topics,’” wrote Bozell. MRC’s investigation into Apple News, however, found this claim to be “inaccurate,” as stories from blocked outlets will still appear in a user’s feed “when selected by the Apple News editors.”
Bozell added, “Apple is not only aware that users cannot block outlets, but that this restriction is actually a design feature.”
Bozell also called out how Apple News feigns neutrality by encouraging news organizations to apply to be disseminated by the app to “support a thriving news ecosystem.” But when MRC submitted applications for its NewsBusters and Free Speech America publications, Apple contradicted its own website and “informed MRC that it was ‘no longer accepting unsolicited applications.’”
Together, these compound the impact of Apple’s overwhelming bias favoring leftist outlets, as MRC has repeatedly found.
Apple claimed in statements that its “news span[s] a wide range of topics from more than 3,000 publications,” including a seemingly balanced number of leftist, center and right-leaning outlets. But MRC’s research shows otherwise. MRC revealed that for 99 days—from Nov. 6 through Feb 12—Apple News published 1,369 stories from left-leaning outlets. However, it published zero stories from a right-leaning source during the same period, only breaking this streak on the 100th day.
During the month of February, only two percent of the stories Apple News featured in its top 20 stories in the mornings came from right-leaning outlets (400 left-leaning vs. 8 right-leaning).
Apple’s bias also shows up when it presents the issues that really matter to Americans. For example, during the first two weeks of February, Apple News published 57 headlines about ICE, immigration and the threats that lead to not funding DHS. All 57 headlines came from center or left-leaning outlets. Not one was from a right-leaning source, despite the fact that the debate largely splits down partisan lines and diverse media would be essential to a balanced, neutral dissemination of news coverage.
Bozell even asked the FTC to investigate whether “Apple has engaged in anticompetitive trade restraints to harm its competitors” due to the fact that it comes preinstalled on Apple phones.
“Because over 58% of smartphones used in America are manufactured by Apple and come preinstalled with its news app, Apple News often appears for users unprompted, and is always preferenced over competitor news apps,” he closed off.
Find the full letter to FTC Chairman Ferguson below:
