Carr has his eyes on social media and has threatened to use the FCC to regulate speech that conservatives disagree with.
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President-elect Donald Trump said on Sunday that intends to name Brendan Carr as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. Carr, a commissioner at the FCC since 2017, has made a name for himself by threatening to use the commission’s powers to regulate speech online and over the airwaves.
Carr authored Project 2025’s section on the FCC, using it to propose restrictions on social media platforms meant to bolster conservative speech. He proposed limiting the legal shield that gives websites wide latitude to host and moderate user-generated content. He also suggested putting regulations on tech companies that would limit their ability to block and prioritize that content as they choose.
In the lead up to the election, Carr threatened to use the commission’s powers to punish companies for speech he doesn’t like. Just this month, he floated revoking NBC’s broadcast license after SNL featured Kamala Harris. As commissioner, he voted to repeal net neutrality rules in 2017 and later voted against restoring net neutrality earlier this year.
In an exceptionally vague statement, Trump says Carr will “end the regulatory onslaught crippling America’s Job Creators and Innovators.” He also says that Carr will “ensure that the FCC delivers for rural America.”
