Tim Cook’s political tightrope is fraying

Apple is caught in the Trump administration’s crosshairs — this time over its news app.

Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson issued a letter to CEO Tim Cook on Wednesday, citing recent reports from right-leaning media watchdog Media Research Center that said Apple News promoted “left-wing “publications over conservative outlets.

Ferguson questioned whether Apple was acting in line with its terms of service with its curation of featured articles on the Apple News app.

“As an American citizen, I abhor and condemn any attempt to censor content for ideological reasons,” Ferguson said in the letter, which he published. “Such efforts, whether taken to appease overzealous activists, at the behest of foreign governments, or simply to advance the political views of Silicon Valley elites, stifle the free exchange of ideas, manipulate the public discourse, and are inconsistent with American values.”

While he said the FTC doesn’t police speech and can’t require the company to promote one ideology over another, the FTC Act is meant to protect consumers from deceptive acts or practices by companies.

Ferguson urged Apple to conduct a “comprehensive review of Apple’s terms of service” to ensure it isn’t in violation of the FTC Act.

Apple and the FTC did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Ferguson is no stranger to taking on Silicon Valley. Before he was appointed by President Donald Trump as FTC chair in 2025, he vowed to “end Big Tech’s vendetta against competition and free speech.”

The FTC warning is the latest snag in Cook’s political tightrope walk. The iPhone maker took a hit last year from the Trump administration’s tariff policies, though smartphones, computers, and some other electronics were exempt from the most aggressive tariffs. Apple has pledged to invest more than $600 million in American businesses.