President-elect Trump Designates Big Tech Critic Brendan Carr to Lead US Communications Regulator

Donald Trump, the US President-elect, has designated Brendan Carr, known for his criticism of “big tech,” to head the US communications regulatory body following his inauguration in January 2025. Carr has previously criticized what he perceives as the suppression of conservative perspectives by major social media companies, with the exception of X, a platform owned by Elon Musk, who is an ally and supporter of Trump. He contributed a chapter to Project 2025, a document compiled by the conservative Heritage Foundation outlining policy recommendations for a potential second Trump administration. Trump has publicly disassociated himself from this document. In announcing Carr’s elevation to chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), an organization where he has held a position for several years, Trump referred to him as a “warrior for free speech”. The president-elect further stated that his chosen candidate had “fought against the regulatory lawfare that has stifled Americans’ freedoms, and held back our economy”. On X, Carr expressed that he was “humbled and honoured” to assume the position, and indicated his intention to proceed with his strategy to “dismantle the censorship cartel”. Most of Trump’s senior appointments are now finalized in advance of his inauguration on 20 January; however, some positions, such as Carr’s, will necessitate confirmation by members of the US Senate. Several selections have generated controversy and could encounter difficulties. Carr previously held the position of senior Republican at the FCC, an autonomous body supervised by Congress responsible for regulating television, radio, and broadband internet services. He received nominations for his prior appointments from both Trump, during his initial presidency, and the incumbent president, Joe Biden. By profession, Carr is a lawyer. Although a long-standing establishment Republican, he has recently aligned with Trump’s agenda and become an advocate for regulating large technology companies. The chapter he authored in Project 2025 outlines various policy recommendations, such as “reining in” companies like Google and Facebook through transparency regulations, enhancing rural broadband connectivity, and adopting a more stringent approach toward TikTok, which is owned by a Chinese parent company. Throughout his campaign, Trump has previously pledged to revoke the licenses of television channels he deemed biased. Anthony Zurcher, the North America correspondent, provides analysis of the presidential election in his US Election Unspun newsletter, published twice weekly. Individuals in the UK can subscribe via this link, while those outside the UK can subscribe here. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the material found on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available here.