FTC Chair Requests Information On Big Tech "Censorship"

On Thursday, February 20, 2025, FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson announced a Request for Information (RFI) for "public submissions from anyone who has been a victim of tech censorship (banning, demonetization, shadow banning, etc.), from employees of tech platforms, or from anyone else who can shed light on these practices and the way in which they may violate the law." While Chairman Ferguson announced this RFI with great fanfare, the reality is that it is unlikely to lead to any groundbreaking information or conclusions. Instead, it should be understood as a small, initial investigatory step with a track record of rarely leading to significant action.¹

An RFI is the smallest investigatory maneuver that Chairman Ferguson could have taken. Mr. Ferguson had several other options available to him. For example, he could have initiated a so-called Section 6(b) study (named after the section that authorizes the FTC to initiate such inquiries, Section 6(b) of the FTC Act, 15