Project 2025 Tracker / What’s done, what’s next

Section 5 · Independent Regulatory Agencies

28 Federal Communications Commission

845–860 · Brendan Carr

Brendan Carr, who wrote this chapter, holds a post in the part of government it covers: Chairman, Federal Communications Commission. Since Jan 20, 2025.

  • 1 done
  • 13 partially done
  • 3 attempted
  • 17 not started

Major recommendations (4)

What has happened

The Mandate said

“These rapidly evolving market conditions counsel in favor of eliminating many of the heavy-handed FCC regulations that were adopted in an era when every technology operated in a silo. These include many of the FCC’s media ownership rules, which can have the effect of restricting investment and competition because those regulations assume a far more limited set of competitors for advertising dollars than exist today, as well as its universal service requirements.”

What happened

Partially done

The FCC voted 2–1 (Report and Order FCC 26-53) to repeal the 39% national television ownership cap and replace it with case-by-case review — the first media ownership rule eliminated. The local radio, local TV and dual network rules remain under review, and the universal service requirements are untouched (the FCC defended the Universal Service Fund at the Supreme Court, which upheld it on 2025-06-27).

The Mandate said

“These rapidly evolving market conditions counsel in favor of eliminating many of the heavy-handed FCC regulations that were adopted in an era when every technology operated in a silo. These include many of the FCC’s media ownership rules, which can have the effect of restricting investment and competition because those regulations assume a far more limited set of competitors for advertising dollars than exist today, as well as its universal service requirements.”

What happened

Attempted

The FCC's 2022 Quadrennial Review notice of proposed rulemaking (FCC 25-64, adopted 2025-09-30) asked whether the Local Radio Ownership Rule, the Local Television Ownership Rule and the Dual Network Rule should be modified or repealed.

The Mandate said

“These rapidly evolving market conditions counsel in favor of eliminating many of the heavy-handed FCC regulations that were adopted in an era when every technology operated in a silo. These include many of the FCC’s media ownership rules, which can have the effect of restricting investment and competition because those regulations assume a far more limited set of competitors for advertising dollars than exist today, as well as its universal service requirements.”

What happened

Attempted

The FCC Media Bureau reopened the record on the national television ownership rule (the 39% audience-reach cap and the UHF discount), asking whether to modify, retain or eliminate it (MB Docket 17-318). On 2025-07-23 Chairman Carr welcomed an Eighth Circuit decision vacating a local broadcast ownership rule the 2023 FCC had voted to retain.

The Mandate said

“To that end, the next Administration should instruct the various departments and agencies that are administering broadband infrastructure funds to direct those resources to communities without adequate Internet infrastructure instead of to places that already enjoy broadband connectivity.”

What happened

Partially done

NTIA approved the last of the 56 state and territorial BEAD Final Proposals, so every award in the program has now been made under the restructured rules. The Assistant Secretary put the resulting savings at about $21 billion, which NTIA has been consulting on how to spend rather than redirecting to unserved locations by rule.

The Mandate said

“However, the FCC must do a better job of ensuring that its Covered List stays up to date and accounts for changes in corporate names and forms.”

What happened

Partially done

The list itself, read at last, and it shows the expansion half delivered many times over. As at its own stamp of August 21, 2026 the Covered List carries five in-window additions — all uncrewed aircraft systems and UAS critical components produced in a foreign country plus the equipment listed in § 1709(a)(1) of the FY25 NDAA (2025-12-22, updated 2026-01-07, 2026-03-18, 2026-06-15 and 2026-07-21), foreign-produced routers (2026-03-23), Digitalsystem Technology Inc.'s § 214 services (2026-07-07), and foreign-produced power inverters and advanced robotic devices (both 2026-07-28, the inverters updated 2026-08-20) — against eleven entries dating from 2021 to 2024. One entry was removed (foreign-produced "Toy Drones", 2026-06-15). The list is plainly being kept current: its Documents log runs to 2026-08-28, and a new importation and marketing prohibition process under 47 CFR § 2.939(e) took effect by Public Notice of 2026-06-26 for equipment added in 2024 or earlier. It stays `partial` for the reason the Commission itself gives in the Third Further Notice a fortnight earlier: the corporate-name-and-form problem the Quote names is still at the proposal stage.

Still to come

Executive action 10

  1. 847 Issue an FCC order eliminating court-created Section 230 immunities Major Not started
  2. 851 Ban TikTok on national security grounds Major Not started
  3. 848 Impose transparency rules on Big Tech platforms Notable Not started
  4. 849 Require Big Tech to specify terms of service and be held to them Notable Not started
  5. 848 Track the July 2020 Section 230 Petition for Rulemaking in FCC reforms Minor Not started
  6. 848 File a new Section 230 petition for rulemaking at the FCC Minor Not started
  7. 848 Clarify that Section 230(c)(1) does not cover every platform decision Minor Not started
  8. 848 Clarify that Section 230(c)(2) governs platform takedown decisions Minor Not started
  9. 849 Require Big Tech to offer a transparent appeals process for takedowns Minor Not started
  10. 856 Adopt a national broadband coordinating strategy Minor Not started

Needs Congress 7

  1. 849 Back legislation scrapping Section 230's current approach Major Not started
  2. 849 Apply antidiscrimination provisions to Big Tech and back-end providers Notable Not started
  3. 850 Require Big Tech to contribute to the Universal Service Fund Notable Not started
  4. 849 Limit Section 230 legislation to dominant, general-use platforms Minor Not started
  5. 849 Exclude illegal and indecent content from any platform hosting mandate Minor Not started
  6. 849 Let consumers choose their own content filters and fact checkers Minor Not started
  7. 849 Strengthen protections against young children using social media Minor Not started

All recommendations in this chapter

Every recommendation this chapter is the home of, in printed-page order.

  1. 847 Issue an FCC order eliminating court-created Section 230 immunities Not started
  2. 848 Track the July 2020 Section 230 Petition for Rulemaking in FCC reforms Not started
  3. 848 File a new Section 230 petition for rulemaking at the FCC Not started
  4. 848 Clarify that Section 230(c)(1) does not cover every platform decision Not started
  5. 848 Clarify that Section 230(c)(2) governs platform takedown decisions Not started
  6. 848 Impose transparency rules on Big Tech platforms Not started
  7. 849 Require Big Tech to specify terms of service and be held to them Not started
  8. 849 Require Big Tech to offer a transparent appeals process for takedowns Not started
  9. 849 Back legislation scrapping Section 230's current approach Needs Congress Not started
  10. 849 Apply antidiscrimination provisions to Big Tech and back-end providers Needs Congress Not started
  11. 849 Limit Section 230 legislation to dominant, general-use platforms Needs Congress Not started
  12. 849 Exclude illegal and indecent content from any platform hosting mandate Needs Congress Not started
  13. 849 Let consumers choose their own content filters and fact checkers Needs Congress Not started
  14. 849 Strengthen protections against young children using social media Needs Congress Not started
  15. 850 Require Big Tech to contribute to the Universal Service Fund Needs Congress Not started
  16. 851 Ban TikTok on national security grounds Not started
  17. 851 Expand and keep current the FCC's Covered List Partially done
  18. 851 Create a regular process for reviewing entities tied to the CCP Partially done
  19. 851 Bar regulated carriers from interconnecting with insecure providers Attempted
  20. 852 Publish a foreign adversary transparency list of FCC licensees Partially done
  21. 852 Fully fund the federal rip and replace program Done
  22. 852 Launch a Clean Standards Initiative against CCP standards influence Attempted
  23. 853 Adopt a plan to stop U.S. entities from aiding China's AI goals Partially done
  24. 853 Develop a national spectrum strategy with an aggressive timeline Partially done
  25. 854 Establish an interagency spectrum coordination process Needs Congress Partially done
  26. 854 Cap state and local fees and review times for wireline permits Attempted
  27. 855 Require timely broadband permitting reviews by federal land agencies Partially done
  28. 855 Speed FCC review and approval of new satellite applications Partially done
  29. 855 Direct federal broadband funds to communities without service Partially done
  30. 856 Eliminate government-funded overbuilding of existing networks Partially done
  31. 856 Adopt a national broadband coordinating strategy Not started
  32. 856 Have the FCC review its broadband programs, including the USF Partially done
  33. 857 Eliminate FCC media ownership rules and universal service requirements Partially done
  34. 857 Conduct a top-to-bottom review and rescind outdated FCC rules Partially done