❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Department of Justice (DOJ) has entered a legal battle involving allegations that major media outlets and tech corporations coordinated to suppress independent journalism through the Trusted News Initiative (TNI).
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Plaintiffs include Children’s Health Defense (CHD), independent publishers, and reporters. Defendants include TNI participants such as the BBC, Reuters, The Associated Press (AP), The Washington Post, and tech firms like Google, Meta, and Microsoft.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The lawsuit was filed in 2023, with the DOJ filing its notice of intent last week in federal court.
💬KEY QUOTE: The DOJ highlighted the CHD lawsuit’s focus on “anticompetitive collusion among competitors over product features” as of particular interest.
🎯IMPACT: The DOJ’s involvement could signal a shift in addressing anticompetitive practices and bolster the plaintiffs’ case against TNI.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is entering a legal battle challenging an alliance between establishment media outlets and technology corporations accused of stifling independent journalism. According to the lead plaintiff, the Children’s Health Defense (CHD), the Trusted News Initiative (TNI)—a BBC-led international consortium that includes the likes of Reuters, The Associated Press (AP), and The Washington Post—unlawfully coordinated with technology companies to throttle independent media competitors by labeling their reporting as “misinformation” or “disinformation.”
In federal filings, the plaintiffs argue that the collusion between TNI and the technology industry constitutes a violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act, contending the scheme is an anti-competitive practice. While the lawsuit was initially filed in 2023, it languished in federal court until last week, when the DOJ indicated it would soon submit a statement of interest in the case. Notably, a statement of interest is a filing where the DOJ informs a court of its stance on a particular legal issue or argument. Specifically, the DOJ highlighted the CHD lawsuit’s focus on “anticompetitive collusion among competitors over product features” as of particular interest.
Mary Holland, the CEO of CHD, welcomed the Trump administration’s involvement in the case, which could help advance the lawsuit. Plaintiffs argue that the collusion between TNI and social media companies resulted in shadow bans and targeted content removals under the guise of fighting “disinformation.” The plaintiffs state these measures were aimed at restricting their media reach and ability to conduct business.
Founded by the BBC’s former Chief of Staff, Jessica Cecil, TNI publicly presents itself as an international coalition of media outlets, technology corporations, and social media companies working to counter “disinformation.” However, CHD and its co-plaintiffs contend that the organization’s true purpose is to protect the corporate media’s market monopoly, using anti-competitive practices to stifle independent news companies.
In court filings, they cite comments by figures close to TNI’s operations, like former BBC news controller Jamie Angus, who stated that independent media competitors had unleashed “a tidal wave of unchecked [reporting] that’s being piped out mainly through digital platforms.”
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