Trump eyes social media bias hawk as next FCC commissioner

Photo credit should read BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images The Trump administration is considering an unconventional pick for the next FCC commissioner, a senior adviser at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) who has played a significant role in the agency’s social media regulation agenda. The choice is still tentative, but if confirmed, the nomination would represent a significant blow to Republicans who favor a light-touch approach to telecom policy. Three sources close to the matter say Nathan Simington, a senior advisor at the NTIA within the commerce department, has emerged as a leading candidate to take over Republican Commissioner Mike O’Rielly’s seat at the FCC. Simington is said to have helped draft the administration’s social media executive order,... Continue reading…