FCC’s Carr Sends Message to Big Tech

WASHINGTON, Nov. 7, 2024 – In President Donald Trump’s new administration, Federal Communications Commission Commissioner Brendan Carr says that the FCC needs to help rein in Big Tech and make sure broadcasters serve the public interest.

“I want to congratulate President Trump on his historic election victory,” Republican Carr said Thursday in a statement. “When the transition is complete, the FCC will have an important role to play reining in Big Tech, ensuring that broadcasters operate in the public interest, and unleashing economic growth.”

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., Wednesday told FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel that the time had to come to limit her agenda over the next 75 days to just non-controversial items.

“I agree with congressional leadership that the FCC should immediately stop work on any partisan or controversial matter and focus on the transition,” said Carr, who is considered a front runner to be FCC Chairman in Trump’s second term.

Big Tech has been on Carr’s radar for many years. In 2020, he supported revisions to Section 230 that denied special protections to Big Tech companies in the social media space.

Carr also supported banning TikTok for national security reasons. He said that the app operated as a "very sophisticated surveillance technology." Congress banned the short-form video app if the company did not separate from its China-based owner ByteDance.

Carr in his comments about broadcasters serving the public interest could have been referencing NBC’s possible violation of the FCC’s Equal Time Rule when Vice President Kamala Harris appeared Nov. 2 on Saturday Night Live.

“NBC knew the FCC's Equal Time Rule. SNL even said that they could not bring any candidates on. Nonetheless, NBC and SNL decided to bring just one candidate on less than 50 hours before Election Day,” Carr said on X. “I encourage any candidate that does not believe that their Equal Time rights were honored to bring the issue forward to the FCC for our adjudication.”

In response to Harris, NBC gave Trump 90 seconds of free ad time during a NASCAR race and a Sunday Night Football game.