America’s new comm regulator: Will he curb Big Tech or stifle free speech?

“Broadband deployment, net neutrality, and telecom privacy” have long been the traditional priorities of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the leading US communications regulator. But that may change soon under the new chairman, Brendan Carr, handpicked by President-elect Donald Trump.

As one of the authors of Trump’s conservative blueprint Project 2025, Carr wrote about the need to reform Section 230, which shields information service providers from civil litigations. This is a remedy that Carr has formulated to “rein in Big Tech” and “promote national security,” drawing ire from critics who fear the FCC could transmute into the 'nation's speech police,' and potentially choke the freedom of social media platforms.

Carr's leadership at the FCC has evoked mixed reactions from industry experts.

Dr. Natasha Tusikov, an associate professor at York University specialising in technology regulation, says implementing Carr’s radical vision would be challenging, although content moderation might benefit consumers.

"The opacity of tech companies' blocking and demonetisation practices and difficulty in appealing decisions has long frustrated businesses and consumers," she tells TRT World.

Under current regulations, the FCC's authority primarily extends to communications infrastructure rather than content oversight. However, Carr's recent statements and actions, particularly his criticism of what he terms the “censorship cartel” signal an intention to expand the agency's scope.

The focus of previous FCC chairs, including Trump's first-term FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, was largely on maintaining smooth cross-platform communication. Pai mainly concentrated on broadband deployment and 5G advancement.

Carr’s relationship with tech industry heavyweights like Elon Musk has drawn attention from policy observers. When Musk's Starlink satellite internet provider lost an $885 million federal grant in 2022, Carr vocally opposed the decision in an Op-Ed he wrote for The Wall Street Journal, in which he portrayed Musk as a victim who was unfairly targeted by America’s political left.

Free speech vs. Big Tech

Tusikov from York University highlights “multiple serious problems that Big Tech poses" - including traits like “anti-competitive behaviour and concentrated market power in which one company (Google) dominates the online search sector and a handful of US companies dominate the social media sector.

“Regulation is urgently needed," she said, a position that complements Carr’s vision on one hand, while also expressing concern about the new FCC leader’s potential overreach.

“Given Trump’s documented disdain for media independence —from the Stop-the-Steal lies about election fraud to false claims about Haitian immigrants eating dogs — and his stated regard for authoritarian leaders, I have little faith that Brendan Carr would be able to resist Trump’s worst inclinations,” Tusikov says.

Legal experts note that the FCC's current jurisdiction doesn't extend to content moderation practices of social media platforms, raising questions about how Carr might pursue his stated agenda without congressional action.

Some parts of Carr's proposal, such as “requiring tech companies to be more transparent about their algorithm changes and their decisions to block or demonetise users”, are seen as potentially valuable by many tech industry observers.

However, technology experts outside the United States agree on the shadowy nature of Big Tech, especially when it comes to data privacy and transparency.

"With so many different news sources today, both traditional media and social media platforms must work together to stop the spread of misinformation," says Prof. Ali Resul Usul, the Rector of Anadolu University in Türkiye.

"It's also important for leaders from both (Republican and Democratic) parties to come together in a bipartisan way to address these issues (pertaining misinformation)," Usul adds.

Carr has been endorsed by several rightwing figures including Musk. Trump called Carr "a warrior for Free Speech" who will "end the regulatory onslaught that has been crippling America's Job Creators."

Industry veterans like Blair Levin, a former FCC chief of staff, also appreciate Carr's political acumen, describing him as “the most talented politician on the commission right now”.

He even garnered support from unexpected quarters. Democratic FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks has praised Carr, calling him "a dedicated public servant”. Starks expects the possibility of bipartisan cooperation under Carr’s leadership.

But in a deeply polarised America that it is today, experts like Tusikov urge caution.

“My real fear,” Tusikov says, “is that much of the dismantling of these ‘cartels’ will be the companies’ content moderation policies that target hateful and harmful online speech. The resulting ecosystem will be a more dangerous, hateful space for many people – all in the name of restoring free speech.”