Trump names ‘big tech’ critic Brendan Carr to head comms regulator

US President-elect Donald Trump has named “big tech” critic Brendan Carr to lead the US communications regulator, after he takes office in January 2025.

Carr has attacked what he sees as the censorship of conservative viewpoints by top social media firms other than X, a site owned by his ally and fellow Trump backer, Elon Musk.

He authored a chapter of Project 2025 – a “wish list” for a second Trump presidency by the conservative Heritage Foundation. Trump has distanced himself from the document.

Announcing Carr’s promotion to chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), an agency on which he has served for years, Trump called him a “warrior for free speech”.

The president-elect also said his appointee had “fought against the regulatory lawfare that has stifled Americans’ freedoms, and held back our economy”.

Writing on X, Carr said he was “humbled and honoured” to take the role, and would set about his plan to “dismantle the censorship cartel”.

Trump’s top team is now largely in place ahead of his inauguration on 20 January, although some roles – including Carr’s – will require approval from members of the US Senate.

Certain picks have proven contentious and may face obstacles.

Carr already served as the senior Republican of the FCC, an independent agency overseen by Congress that regulates TV, radio and broadband internet access.

He has been nominated for his previous roles by both Trump, during his first presidency, and Joe Biden, the current president.

Carr is a lawyer by training. A long-time establishment Republican, in recent years he has embraced Trump’s priorities and emerged as a supporter of regulation of big tech.

His chapter in Project 2025 makes a range of policy proposals – including “reining in” firms including Google and Facebook with transparency rules, improving rural broadband, and toughening up the stance to TikTok, which has a Chinese parent company.

During the campaign, Trump has previously vowed to strip the licenses of TV channels that he considered to be biased.