Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioner Brendan Carr has escalated his criticism of Big Tech, calling for an end to what he terms the “censorship cartel.” His remarks follow revelations about coordinated efforts by tech platforms and fact-checking organizations to suppress dissenting viewpoints.

Carr’s statements come as social media usage surges, with platforms like Elon Musk’s X reporting record engagement while cable news networks experience a post-election ratings collapse. Carr has positioned himself as a vocal advocate for free speech and a potential leader of the FCC under President-elect Donald Trump.

In a letter addressed to CEOs of major tech companies, including Apple’s Tim Cook and Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, Carr accused them of collaborating with groups like NewsGuard to stifle opposing voices. “The censorship cartel must be dismantled,” he wrote, calling out the “one-sided narratives” enforced through demonetization and ad agency partnerships.

NewsGuard, which bills itself as an online arbiter of truth, was a primary focus of Carr’s critique. He accused the organization of bias, citing a U.S. House Committee on Small Business report that alleged NewsGuard unfairly influenced the media landscape by favoring certain outlets over others.

Carr also criticized NewsGuard’s track record, highlighting instances where it rated propaganda from the Chinese Communist Party as more credible than U.S. publications and penalized coverage of topics like the COVID-19 lab leak theory. These actions, Carr argued, raise serious questions about whether NewsGuard’s practices align with the “good faith” standards outlined in Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.

To address these concerns, Carr demanded that Big Tech companies provide a list of all services and third-party partnerships involving NewsGuard or similar fact-checking organizations. He set a December 10 deadline for this information.

“The censorship cartel is an affront to Americans’ constitutional freedoms,” Carr wrote. He stressed that freedom of expression is vital for democracy and urged Big Tech to end practices that target political, religious, and scientific speech.