Trump choice for FTC chair aims to fight ‘Big Tech censorship’
President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Andrew Ferguson as the next chair of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and the new leader hopes to fight alleged attempts to censor conservative views online.
Trump claims Ferguson, a Republican commissioner President Biden appointed in April, has a history of resisting “Big Tech censorship” and supporting free speech.
Ferguson himself maintains that he’ll end a Big Tech “vendetta” against competition and free speech, and that the US is both an industry leader and a haven for innovators.
Thank you President Trump. Under your leadership, American businesses will become stronger and more competitive, and will better serve workers and consumers, than ever before. I’m honored that you’ve chosen me to be FTC Chairman in your mission to make our country great again.… pic.twitter.com/GxmYWfjpqm
— Andrew Ferguson (@AFergusonFTC) December 11, 2024
In Ferguson’s place, antitrust law firm partner Mark Meador will become an FTC commissioner.
Trump recently picked Brendan Carr to lead the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) with a similar agenda. The incoming President wants both historically independent agencies to more directly serve his policies, including the anti-censorship push. Trump and other conservatives have asserted that Google, Meta, and other major tech companies are censoring right-wing ideas by banning users, deleting posts, or supposedly prioritizing liberal content.
The companies have long rejected these claims. Instead, they’ve said they’re combatting hate speech and misinformation that potentially leads to real-world harm, such as threats against minorities or false election material. The main exception is X, which under Elon Musk has lifted some content restrictions. Musk is pro-Trump and will co-lead an advisory “Department of Government Efficiency” under the second Trump administration.
What will Trump’s FTC pick do with Big Tech regulation?In addition to loosening policies around online speech, Ferguson is expected to take a deregulatory approach that contrasts sharply with the FTC under current chair Lina Khan.
Khan had become an outspoken opponent of alleged Big Tech anti-competitive abuses even before Biden nominated her, and mostly acted on that during her tenure. She and the FTC cracked down both on major companies like Amazon as well as practices widely seen as anti-consumer, such as hard-to-cancel subscriptions. As a parting shot, the Commission is investigating Microsoft’s cloud business for possible antitrust problems.
Ferguson won’t necessarily refuse to regulate large tech companies beyond speech. However, he has made clear that he won’t pursue those companies as aggressively as Khan. He may be less likely to oppose mergers or govern specific behaviors.
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