“EFF joined other digital rights and civil liberties organizations in calling out the unconstitutionality of Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr’s recent threats to punish broadcasters for airing statements he disagrees with.”

“Carr’s recent threats, like his past threats, are unconstitutional efforts to coerce news coverage that favors President Donald Trump.”

“He wrongly claims that the FCC’s 'public interest' standard allows him and the commission to revoke the licenses of broadcasters who publish news that is unflattering to the government is anathema to our country’s core constitutional values.”

“Imposing restrictions on licensees’ speech, especially viewpoint-based limitations, are still subject to First Amendment scrutiny even if, in some circumstances, that scrutiny differs somewhat from that applied to non-broadcast media.”

“The 'public interest' requirement, as it were, has never been interpreted to allow the type of viewpoint-based punishment that Carr has threatened here.”

“Carr’s allegations of 'falsity' are a proxy for retaliation based on (1) Carr’s subjective policy disagreements; (2) any criticism of Trump and the administration broadly; (3) treatment of anything that is not the official US government line about the Iran War as 'false.'”