Brendan Carr, a senior Republican commissioner since 2017, is known for opposing net neutrality and supporting rural internet expansion|Gage Skidmore|CC BY-SA 2.0
President-elect Donald Trump nominated Brendan Carr to lead the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), signaling a shift toward curbing Big Tech’s influence and addressing media bias.
Carr, a senior Republican commissioner since 2017, has consistently supported conservative policies. He has been a vocal advocate for rolling back net neutrality and expanding rural internet access.
He is also a vocal critic of social media platforms.
Regulatory and strategic priorities
Carr’s approach includes:
- Using the FCC to regulate major tech firms like Google, Meta, Apple and Microsoft.
- Proposing broader oversight beyond traditional telecommunications.
- Navigating the FCC’s budget constraints and court-imposed limitations.
Known for his support of Elon Musk’s Starlink, the world’s largest satellite broadband service, he has criticized the FCC’s withdrawal of an $885 million grant for the company, calling it politically motivated.
He also opposes President Joe Biden’s $42.5 billion broadband program, arguing its fiber-centric rules inflate costs. Carr’s policies may indirectly benefit Amazon’s Kuiper network.
Position on Big Tech and media
Carr advocates banning TikTok over national security concerns and seeks to hold Big Tech accountable by revoking legal protections and requiring financial contributions to internet subsidies.
In a chapter of “Project 2025,” a blueprint of conservative policy proposals for overhauling the federal government, Carr recommended that the FCC limit the scope of Section 230 of the Communications Act to crack down on what conservatives perceive as Big Tech content-moderation abuses.
He also supports easing media ownership rules to encourage consolidation among traditional broadcasters such as ABC and CBS.
Currently, the five-member FCC has three Democratic appointees, but when Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel’s five-year term ends next year, Donald Trump will have a chance to shift the agency in favor of Republicans.