Trump taps Big Tech critic Brendan Carr to lead communications agency | Technology

The Republican accused the big tech platforms of using a 'research firm'.

President-elect of the United States Donald Trump has tapped Brendan Carr, a Republican known for criticizing Big Tech, to lead the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Carr, who has served as FCC commissioner since 2017, will end the “regulatory onslaught” that has held back job creators and innovators and ensure that the telecommunications industry delivers to rural areas, Trump said in a statement Sunday.

“Commissioner Carr is a champion of free speech, and he has fought against regulatory laws that have stifled the liberties of the American people, and restored our economy,” Trump said.

Carr, who has echoed Trump's concerns about social media censorship, stressed the need to prioritize free speech following the president-elect's announcement.

“We must dismantle the censorship wagon and restore free speech rights to everyday Americans,” Carr said in a post on X.

While the FCC regulates radio and TV, as well as broadband Internet services, Carr has called for the agency to spend more money that includes oversight of major technology companies such as Google, Apple, Meta, and Microsoft.

In a chapter titled “Project 2025,” a blueprint for federal government reform produced by The Heritage Foundation, Carr argued that Section 230 of the Communications Act should be limited to reduce what conservatives say is pervasive technology discrimination.

In a statement congratulating Trump on his election victory earlier this month, Carr said the agency would play an important role in “engaging in Big Tech” and “ensuring that broadcasters serve the public”.

Before the election, Carr made headlines when he accused NBC of violating “equal time” rules by inviting Democratic nominee Kamala Harris on Saturday Night Live and suggested that networks committing “egregious” violations of broadcasting standards could be stripped of their licenses.

Liberals have expressed concern over Carr's views, saying Section 230, which protects internet providers from liability for the content they host, is essential to a free and open internet.

“When people tell you what they plan to do, you have to believe them. “Brendan Carr has made it clear that he plans to attack Section 230 and force online forums to carry the mud,” said Adam Kovacevich, CEO of the left-wing group Chamber of Progress Founder, in a statement.

“That's why Democrats need to protect Section 230, which protects content moderation and keeps the Internet from becoming a cesspool.”

Max Burns, a Democratic strategist, said Carr supports Trump's plans to use the FCC as a “weapon against media outlets the president doesn't like”.

“Be prepared,” Burns said in a post on X.

The FCC currently has a majority of three Democrats, but Trump will have a chance to tilt the body in favor of Republicans when Biden's nominee Jessica Rosenworcel's term is limited to five years next year.