MRC Accuses Google and Apple of Censoring Graham Platner

The Media Research Center (MRC) released a study alleging that Google News and Apple News intentionally suppressed negative coverage of Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner from November 2025 through May 2026. The MRC claims the aggregators blocked at least 112 stories from right-leaning outlets regarding Platner's controversies, including a Nazi-linked Totenkopf tattoo, racist Reddit posts, and other scandals, while polling suggested he could defeat Republican incumbent Senator Susan Collins.

According to the report, this news blackout ended only after Platner became a political liability in late May following sexual abuse allegations and a June 30 Fox News poll showing Collins in the lead. Platner subsequently withdrew from the race on July 10, leaving the Maine Democratic Party to select a replacement by July 27. MRC President David Bozell characterized the actions of the tech companies as a "protection racket."

Google rejected the findings, stating the claims are "totally false and based on a completely flawed methodology." The company asserted that Google News results are curated automatically by systems rather than editors. Apple has not responded to requests for comment. The MRC maintains that Google failed to provide evidence to disprove the specific findings of the report.