President Donald Trump has made it a priority to ensure “fairness” in media—both new and old. He isn’t waiting for Congress to act. The new leadership of the Federal Communications Commission, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Department of Justice Antitrust Division are eager to take action. Whether they succeed will turn on a series of complex legal questions about the authority of these agencies and how the First Amendment limits government interference in private media. Please join us for a two-day workshop exploring the constitutional limits to what government can do about “censorship” and “bias.”
When: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Thursday, May 15 and Friday, May 16, 2025
Where: Competitive Enterprise Institute
1310 L St NW, 7th Floor, Washington, DC 20005
Questions: [email protected] or 202.331.2764
Register below to attend in person and please note any allergy restrictions. Reply to [email protected] to request the live stream link for one or both days.
May 15 – Can the FTC and DOJ Police Political Bias & Content Moderation?
The leaders of the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice Antitrust Division believe these agencies can take legal action to ensure that social media companies curate and moderate content without political bias. They also want to sue advertisers for threatening to boycott platforms that won’t moderate content harmful to brands. But how do consumer protection and competition law apply to media companies? What action, if anything, could these agencies take that is consistent with the First Amendment? The FTC is taking comments on these issues until May 21.
Featured speakers include:
- Alvaro Bedoya and Rebecca Slaughter, former FTC Commissioners, fired by Trump
- William Kovacic, former FTC Chairman (2006-2011)
- Alden Abbott, former FTC General Counsel (2018-2021)
- David Vladeck, former FTC Director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection (2009-2012)
May 16 – Can the FCC Police Political Bias and Reshape Content Moderation?
The Federal Communications Commission has initiated investigations into Republican allegations that broadcasters are biased against them, including news coverage in the 2024 election. Meanwhile, the FCC is poised to act on the Trump administration’s 2020 petition asking the FCC to reinterpret Section 230. Under this reinterpretation, social media companies would face endless litigation unless they drastically reduce content moderation to avoid fact-checking, labeling toxic content, or taking other actions that could be characterized as “censorship.”
Features speakers include:
- Anna Gomez, FCC Commissioner (2023-present)