At a Senate hearing on government censorship and the First Amendment, Senator Maria Cantwell, Ranking Member of the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, questioned the absence of FCC Chairman Brendan Carr as a witness. The session included representatives from Meta, Google, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), and Public Knowledge.
“Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for having this hearing and for the witnesses being here—but my fundamental question still is: ‘Where is Brendan Carr?’” said Cantwell in her opening statement.
She expressed concerns about whether the right witnesses were present to address issues related to regulatory threats against media outlets. “We might have the right hearing, but I'm not sure we have the right witnesses. We might have the right questions, but I'm not sure we have the right administration we're calling into question. I will take the opportunity to ask the witnesses about AI, about algorithms, about competition on platforms. But as we discuss censorship today, this hearing isn't serious if it ignores the ongoing corporate consolidation green-lighted by the Trump Administration, which is only approving deals that come with a political [quid] pro quo.”
Cantwell referenced testimony from Harold Feld of Public Knowledge regarding how industry consolidation can amplify control over content online: “Mr. Feld, in your testimony, you talk about ‘consolidation amplifies the ability to control content on an unprecedented scale,’ and I appreciate that you recognize the threat posed by corporate consolidation to free speech and independent journalism. In fact you also say, ‘a handful of opaque algorithms are controlling the majority of discussion online.’”
She criticized recent decisions by federal regulators approving large media mergers while raising concerns over potential political influence. “Just this year FCC Chairman Carr approved Skydance’s $8 billion acquisition of Paramount, but only after Paramount paid $16 million to settle with President Trump and install a first-term Trump appointee as the ombudsman at CBS. And FTC Chairman Ferguson approved Omnicom’s $13 billion acquisition of Interpublic, creating the world's largest media buying agency, while ignoring the serious concerns about market consolidation. So rather than protecting consumers and competition, the FTC imposed conditions to favor certain kinds of content.”
Cantwell stressed that these consolidations could harm democracy by reducing investment in local media sources: “[A]s Mr. Feld was saying in his testimony,[it’s] really important to have somebody at the FTC that is making sure we understand consumer harm when you reduce competition... The consolidation of audiences and advertising dollars on just a few social media platforms pose real risk to democracy.”
She also highlighted settlements between major tech companies and former President Trump: “When a handful of companies control how information spreads... We've seen both Meta and Google recently reached $25 million settlement[s] with President Trump.”
Citing an Associated Press poll showing 60% of Americans use AI for information-seeking purposes (July 2025), Cantwell warned about risks tied to concentration in digital information distribution.
“The First Amendment isn't just a line in Bill of Rights—it is about an operating system for our democracy,” she stated.
Cantwell called for more transparency within media mergers such as those involving TikTok's proposed deal or ownership changes among leading entertainment firms.
“So I ask again where is Chairman Carr? These are important issues,” she concluded.
The full video recording and transcript from Sen. Cantwell’s statement are available through official committee channels.
