The FTC announcement said that "censorship by technology platforms is not just un-American, it is potentially illegal." Tech platforms' actions "may harm consumers, affect competition, may have resulted from a lack of competition, or may have been the product of anti-competitive conduct," the FTC said.

The Federal Trade Commission will put Big Tech firms like Google and Facebook parent Meta under the microscope over the potential censorship of users and has asked for the public’s input, the agency announced on Thursday.