Gomez Warns FCC Being ‘Weaponized’ Under Trump Administration
‘This FCC has been weighing in on partisan issues that go far beyond our core responsibilities,' she said.
Jericho Casper
WASHINGTON, Feb. 12, 2025 – Commissioner Anna Gomez warned Tuesday that the Federal Communications Commission was being increasingly weaponized to pressure broadcasters and online platforms into aligning with President Donald Trump’s agenda.
“During these last few weeks, the commission has acted in ways that give me pause. This FCC has been weighing in on partisan issues that go far beyond our core responsibilities,” Gomez said in a speech at the State of the Net 2025 conference here in Washington D.C.
Gomez pointed to the FCC’s recent investigation into public broadcasters NPR and PBS, following accusations that their content was biased against the administration.
“I am concerned this is a clear attempt to weaponize our licensing authority, to instill fear in broadcast stations and influence a network's editorial decisions,” Gomez said. “Unfortunately, I'm afraid there are other ways in which the FCC may be weaponized to threaten free expression and… the moderation of content.”
Without naming names, Gomez criticized the administration for exerting pressure on online platforms to scale back content moderation policies.
“Unfortunately, we've already seen these tactics work,” she said. “Private companies are finding it easier to retreat in the face of government threats – veiled or otherwise – than to be responsive to their audiences.”
Meta’s decision to scale back its misinformation and election integrity efforts just weeks before Trump’s inauguration had heightened fears that tech platforms were increasingly bending to partisan demands.
“The administration has not been shy about expressing their desire to have total and complete control – to undermine, threaten and intimidate online companies that do not toe the line,” Gomez said. She referenced Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act — the law that shields online platforms from liability for user-generated content while allowing them to moderate harmful material.
The law recently come under attack by her colleague, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, who previously sought to reinterpret the law, although legal experts widely agreed that the agency does not have the authority to do so.
“No matter which side of this debate you are on, we can all agree that when it comes to online speech, the government should not intimidate private companies who are responsive to consumer demands for content moderation,” Gomez said.
“Sadly, it is all but certain that the FCC will feel compelled to once again answer the call from those in power to weigh in on this complex issue,” Gomez warned. “But let’s be clear, the FCC should not be in the business of micro-managing online speech. Ultimately, only Congress can change and amend the law that gave us the internet as we know it today.”
