The following article is a supplement to the MRC Report: The Biden Administration Waged War on Free Speech with 57 Censorship Initiatives.
Initiative #49
The FCC Censorship of Political Speech
Type of Censorship: Partnership
Agencies Involved:
- Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Summary:
Despite having no authority to regulate such matters, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) inserted itself into the heat of the 2024 election when it launched rulemaking to regulate political speech.
The FCC pushed onerous speech restrictions mandating that Americans engaged in political speech on broadcasters interrupt their message with a list of so-called “disclosures” related to their use of artificial intelligence (AI). The vague regulations could allow the FCC to punish actions as innocuous as automatic color grading or voice amplification.
In his stinging dissent, Commissioner Brendan Carr highlighted that the rulemaking was likely an attempt to aid “the DNC and Democrat candidates” who were “nervous about not keeping up with the GOP in embracing artificial intelligence technologies in this election cycle.”
Key Individuals:
- Jessica Rosenworcel, FCC Chair
