Apple News

Apple’s stock dropped 5% on Thursday, its largest decline since April, due to a delayed Siri update and regulatory scrutiny of Apple News. The AI enhancements for Siri are reportedly postponed, and the FTC is investigating alleged bias on Apple News. These issues overshadowed Apple’s strong earnings, as broader tech sector concerns about AI investment costs and “software uncertainty” weigh on investor sentiment.

FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson has expressed concerns to Apple CEO Tim Cook regarding potential political bias in Apple News’s content curation. Ferguson cited reports suggesting the platform may favor left-leaning outlets while suppressing conservative viewpoints, potentially violating Section 5 of the FTC Act if these practices deviate from consumer expectations. He urged Apple to conduct a review and implement corrective actions. This scrutiny is partly fueled by a conservative watchdog’s study finding no right-leaning outlets featured in a sample of Apple News stories. The situation highlights broader questions about algorithmic bias and platform responsibility in news dissemination.