When Senator Ted Cruz challenged Microsoft one year ago over their funding of NewsGuard’s so-called “media literacy” program, the company claimed it had cut ties. Microsoft asserted its support was limited to a one-time 2018 donation and subsequently asked NewsGuard to remove their name from its website. Senator Cruz, acting in good faith, praised this apparent disavowal believing Microsoft was stepping back from a tool that unfairly targets conservative voices.
While his leadership rightfully exposed Microsoft’s overreach, a new report by the Fair Election Fund reveals Microsoft lied, continuing to promote NewsGuard, while also engaging in broader censorship that threatens free speech and election integrity. This deception, coupled with practices like LinkedIn content suppression and compliance with Chinese Communist Party (CCP) censorship, demands renewed scrutiny.
Microsoft’s claim that it had distanced itself from NewsGuard was a facade. The company’s Search Coach tool, embedded in Teams for Education and used by more than 200 million students, still endorses NewsGuard as a “reliable” arbiter of website credibility. NewsGuard’s bias is well-documented: it labels conservative outlets like The Federalist and Daily Wire as “unreliable” for reporting inconvenient truths, while giving high marks to left-leaning sources like The Atlantic.
By labeling this biased filter a neutral authority, Microsoft is forcing ideological conformity on the next generation of Americans and suppressing conservative viewpoints. This type of indoctrination doesn’t teach students to evaluate the quality or substance of news, but rather to blindly accept left-wing viewpoints as authoritative. This undermines the very critical thinking our education system should foster. Lying about severing ties with NewsGuard is a betrayal of public trust and a direct affront to efforts like Senator Cruz’s to protect free expression and combat the left’s censorship of conservative voices.
This deception is just the tip of the iceberg. The Fair Election Fund report exposes Microsoft’s censorship far beyond NewsGuard, forming a pattern of suppression that stifles open discourse. LinkedIn, under Microsoft’s ownership, removed 355,012 posts in 2021 for “misinformation,” often targeting conservative voices. This heavy-handed moderation silences legitimate policy debates, tilting the digital public square against one side and eroding the discourse essential to a free society.
Equally alarming is Microsoft’s compliance with CCP censorship, which spills into the United States. The report from the Fair Election Fund details partnerships with two CCP propaganda outlets, China Daily and People’s Daily, where Microsoft provided technology to amplify their global reach. Bing’s China search engine censors terms like “Uyghur genocide” more aggressively than local competitors, and in 2021, Microsoft “mistakenly” applied these blacklists globally, blocking “Tank Man” results in America. LinkedIn censored U.S. journalists’ profiles in China for reporting on human rights abuses, drawing ire from lawmakers like Senator Rick Scott.
These actions directly align with FTC Chairman Ferguson’s warning that tech companies censoring Americans at the behest of foreign powers may violate the FTC Act’s prohibition on unfair practices.
Microsoft’s deception and censorship demand action. The Fair Election Fund’s revelations should be a powerful signal to Congress, led by figures like Senator Cruz, to take bold action. His previous efforts exposed Microsoft’s empty promises. Congress can and should investigate Microsoft’s NewsGuard lie, LinkedIn content moderation, and CCP partnerships.
With the 2026 midterms approaching, Microsoft’s actions risk swaying voters and eroding trust in our elections. The Fair Election Fund report shows a clear pattern of Microsoft increasing content removals as Republicans gain momentum in elections. This shouldn’t be allowed to happen again. The American people deserve a tech industry that upholds free speech, not one that lies to Senators and the American public while suppressing dissent to serve partisan or foreign interests. It’s time for accountability—Senator Ted Cruz can make it happen.
David Dunmoyer is the Associate Vice President of Campaigns at the Texas Public Policy Foundation.