The Federal Trade Commission is investigating whether Microsoft makes it challenging for customers to use its products on rival cloud services.
After a report in July 2025 that Microsoft was employing China-based engineers for work on certain Pentagon cloud systems, the software company <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/microsoft-ends-use-china-based-computer-engineers-certain-defense-dept-projects-amid-espionage-fears">said</a> that it adjusted its policies to ensure that “no China-based engineering teams are providing technical assistance for DOD government cloud and related services.”
Will Hild, the executive director of Consumer’s Research, says the investigation is a good sign.
“Microsoft’s massive market power is finally being scrutinized by Trump’s FTC, and rightly so, as the company uses its dominant market share to push a radical, woke agenda while potentially engaging in anti-competitive behavior,” Hild told The Daily Wire.
Last year, Consumers’ Research issued a “woke alert” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/woke-alert-microsoft-slammed-for-race-based-pay-equity-scheme">highlighting</a> various activist-focused initiatives at Microsoft, <a href="https://consumersresearch.org/woke-alert/woke-alert-microsoft/">including</a> donations to transgender activist groups and “pay equity” analysis comparing pay based on race and sex.
“Consumers’ Research fully supports FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson and welcomes this antitrust investigation,” Hild said. “We hope it helps prevent corporate power from being abused to advance ideology at the expense of consumers.”
Joe Grogan, who led the Domestic Policy Council during Trump’s first term, said that an FTC investigation probing whether Microsoft employed anti-competitive practices was much needed.
“In the last year Microsoft has compromised American security by giving Chinese nationals access to cloud projects at the Pentagon,” he told The Daily Wire. “They&#8217;ve also signaled a strong willingness to bend to Europe&#8217;s anti-American digital services policies amid intense trade negotiations, all while pursuing anti-competitive practices to limit consumer choice. The administration is right to use its authority to hold them accountable.”
The comments from Grogan, the head of the nonprofit Public Policy Solutions, come as the FTC is looking into whether Microsoft makes it challenging for customers to use its products on rival cloud services.
Grogan also argued that Microsoft is <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/industry/sovereign-cloud/overview/european-digital-commitments">strengthening</a> its ties to Europe while the European Union implements the Digital Services Act, a sweeping speech-regulation law that allows authorities to penalize companies for failing to remove so-called misinformation or other content deemed illegal.

DailyWire Photo Illustration // Getty Images

Federal Trade Commission’s Microsoft Probe Draws Widespread Praise

Communist China

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

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Federal Trade Commission

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U.S.

Imagine it’s Valentine’s Day at Silicon Valley Middle School. The cafeteria is covered in construction-paper hearts. Everyone pretends not to care — while caring very much. And the most popular kids — the ones who decide who’s cool, who eats lunch alone, and who gets stuffed into lockers — are quietly deciding who deserves a Valentine and who gets the dreaded, “Sorry, we’re just friends.”
Now swap out the middle schoolers for Apple News, Google News, Microsoft’s MSN, and Yahoo News, and you have a pretty good picture of today’s media ecosystem.
Instead of candy grams, these platforms hand out something far more valuable: visibility, traffic, and perceived legitimacy. Algorithms play matchmaker. Editorial choices determine who gets asked to the dance, who goes stag, and who doesn’t even get through the door.
The pattern is hard to ignore.
Research from the Media Research Center examining the “<a href="https://newsbusters.org/blogs/free-speech/heather-moon/2026/02/13/it-took-apple-news-100-days-publish-right-leaning-article">Big 4 News Apps</a>” found that left-leaning outlets dominate coverage, while right-leaning outlets are routinely sidelined or completely buried.
Start with Google News, the alpha dog at the lunch table. Google appears especially fond of The New York Times — not a casual acquaintance, but the kind of devotion that fills a notebook margin with hearts. Between Halloween and Valentine’s Day, Google featured about twice as many New York Times stories (215) as its next most-featured outlets, CNN (122) and the BBC (105). Because Google’s news feed appears by default on millions of Android and Samsung devices, that preference carries enormous national reach.
Looking at 106 days of data since Halloween, Google News promoted 1,757 stories. Almost 70% came from left-leaning outlets, 29% from centrist sources, but just 2% from right-leaning media.
Like Google, Apple News also has a bestie from the print world. The Washington Post receives frequent top placement and prominent visibility. Since Halloween, Apple has featured the Post 109 times. Other regulars in Apple’s rotation include NBC News (89), Reuters (86), and the Associated Press (85).
<div id="attachment_1044207" style="width: 872px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1044207" class="size-large wp-image-1044207" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-1132776284-862x576.jpg" alt="CUPERTINO, CA - MARCH 25: Apple Inc. CEO Tim Cook speaks during an Apple product launch event at the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple Park on March 25, 2019 in Cupertino, California. Apple Inc. announced the launch of , it's new video streaming service, and also unveil a premium subscription tier to its News app. (Photo by Michael Short/Getty Images)" width="862" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-1132776284-862x576.jpg 862w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-1132776284-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-1132776284-768x513.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-1132776284.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 862px) 100vw, 862px" />Michael Short/Getty Images</div>
Overall, of AllSides-rated outlets, Apple News featured 75% left-leaning outlets, 25% centrist outlets — and zero right-leaning outlets in the period studied. Zero is on purpose. Zero means being locked out of the dance. Zero is indefensible. 
Next comes Microsoft’s MSN, whose reach comes from its enormous footprint on desktop computers. While its distribution is not quite as disturbing as Apple’s or Google’s, its preferences are still clear. MSN is more than smitten with Newsweek, publishing 316 Newsweek stories between Halloween and Valentine&#8217;s Day. That level of attention would make any publisher blush.
MSN’s mix included about 10% right-leaning outlets and 37% centrist outlets — higher shares than its competitors, but still leaving Left-leaning sources with the largest slice of attention at 53%.
And then there’s Yahoo News. It’s easy to joke about Yahoo, but the platform draws more than 200 million monthly views, something achieved by only three other outlets. Think of Yahoo as the bad boy who got held back a grade but has a date at every party. And Yahoo certainly plays the field.
Yahoo occasionally features right-leaning outlets, but it has a serious thing for smaller, radical outlets — Buzzfeed, Salon, the New Republic, Rolling Stone, Huffington Post and Mediaite.
Yahoo is also unique among the Big 4 in relying heavily on its own in-house reporting. Those stories leaned left and accounted for a large share of featured content (269 stories). Of the 1,715 stories Yahoo promoted in the study period, 88% came from left-leaning outlets (by far the most of any of the news apps), 6% from centrist organizations, and 6% from right-leaning sources.
Defenders of these platforms argue they are simply promoting “mainstream” outlets with proven “reliability.” But Americans aren’t buying that claim. Gallup polling shows trust in national media has never been lower.
There are reasons for that collapse in confidence. Many Americans remember years of breathless coverage of the Russia collusion narrative, the suppression of the Hunter Biden laptop story, the dismissal of the Wuhan lab-leak evidence, and persistent shielding of President Biden’s cognitive deficiencies. They’ve also watched elitist media advocate aggressively for DEI, ESG and anti-ICE movements — while insisting they are neutral observers.
Distribution is power. A newsroom can produce solid reporting, but Apple, Google, MSN, and Yahoo are clearly trying to control the narrative. The political Left has long understood that institutions shape culture and public opinion. Today, the Big 4 news apps are the institutions: enormously powerful, largely opaque, and virtually unaccountable to the public.
So yes, it’s Valentine’s Day. And in the digital cafeteria, Google, Apple, MSN, and Yahoo are still handing out cards to the favored few and pushing others into lockers.
But another holiday is coming. The Fourth of July is only months away, and federal regulators are examining whether dominant tech platforms have unfairly restricted competition in parts of the media ecosystem. Congress should also continue to investigate the role Big Tech plays in shaping what Americans see and don’t see.
In a free country, the biggest companies should not determine who is allowed into the dance and who is not, who gets a voice and who gets left out in the cold. Freedom must be available to all.
* * *
Dan Schneider is Vice President for Free Speech at the Media Research Center.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Digital NEWS Text Glowing on a Computer Keyboard for Breaking News

The Love Affair Continues: Study Shows Big Four News Apps Still Heart Left-Wing Media

Apple

Google

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Media Bias

Media Research Center

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Tech giant Microsoft yanked its promotion of NewsGuard, which claims to rate the trustworthiness of news websites but is known for targeting conservative outlets like The Daily Wire, months after telling Republican senator Ted Cruz that it had disavowed the site and would no longer recommend it. 
In February 2025, Microsoft publicly <a href="https://www.commerce.senate.gov/2025/2/sen-cruz-s-investigation-leads-microsoft-to-disavow-support-for-newsguard-s-biased-indoctrination-tool">distanced</a> itself from NewsGuard after Cruz demanded answers about why it was promoting the fact-checker on its website. NewsGuard has been criticized for its harsh ratings of conservative websites while seemingly giving legacy outlets a pass.
Microsoft, however, continued to recommend NewsGuard as a trusted “fact-checker” for students even after the firm was accused of colluding with advertisers to censor conservative viewpoints. Only in recent days has Microsoft scrubbed references to NewsGuard from its website, according to <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20250905060257/https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/customize-cce3cff5-3bac-4711-a22e-fb28baa8b467#id0edd=fact_check">archived webpages</a> reviewed by The Daily Wire.
NewsGuard’s removal comes after a <a href="https://thefairelectionfund.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/MicrosoftReport.pdf">report</a> from the Fair Election Fund flagged that Microsoft was <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20250905060257/https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/customize-cce3cff5-3bac-4711-a22e-fb28baa8b467#id0edd=fact_check">incorporating</a> the company into its Search Coach tool. Search Coach is used in Microsoft’s education products, including Teams for Education, which provides “context and guidance for students to ask effective questions and discover reliable sources.”
In Search Coach, Microsoft referred to NewsGuard as an “objective” and “reputable” organization. Microsoft said that NewsGuard “is embedded in Search Coach to share evaluations of sites&#8217; reliability, has created a list of trustworthy fact checking sites,” according to an archived webpage from September 5, 2025. 
<div id="attachment_999159" style="width: 1481px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-999159" class="wp-image-999159 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-11-at-10.02.25-AM.png" alt="" width="1471" height="782" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-11-at-10.02.25-AM.png 1471w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-11-at-10.02.25-AM-300x159.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-11-at-10.02.25-AM-1024x544.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-11-at-10.02.25-AM-768x408.png 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1471px) 100vw, 1471px" />Microsoft/ Sept. 5</div>
The new page has removed references to NewsGuard, though it still recommends left-wing fact-checking outlets like Snopes and PolitiFact. Microsoft did not respond to requests for comment by deadline on why the references to NewsGuard were removed. The Texas Public Policy Foundation and Libs of TikTok both <a href="https://dallasexpress.com/opinion/opinion-microsoft-lied-to-sen-cruz-about-newsguard-continued-censorship-push/">called</a> in late October for Microsoft to completely cut ties to NewsGuard. 
&#8220;We consistently review our business partnerships and did not renew our contract with NewsGuard,&#8221; a Microsoft spokesman told The Daily Wire after publication.
NewsGuard is still listed as a sidebar option on the page, but it leads to an error when clicked on. 
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-999163" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-10-at-1.25.27-PM-scaled.png" alt="" width="2560" height="1302" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-10-at-1.25.27-PM-scaled.png 2560w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-10-at-1.25.27-PM-300x153.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-10-at-1.25.27-PM-1024x521.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-10-at-1.25.27-PM-768x391.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-10-at-1.25.27-PM-1536x781.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-10-at-1.25.27-PM-2048x1041.png 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /></div>
NewsGuard once <a href="https://www.newsguardtech.com/misinformation-monitor/february-2020/">described</a> The Daily Wire as “a site founded by conservative commentator Ben Shapiro that distorts facts to advance a partisan agenda,&#8221; and has consistently rated this website as unreliable. 
One of the other sites it compared The Daily Wire to was Politico, an outlet with a rap sheet that includes pushing the discredited claims from intelligence officers that the Hunter Biden laptop was Russian disinformation. The article <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/19/hunter-biden-story-russian-disinfo-430276">remains published without correction</a>. 
The relationship between Microsoft and NewsGuard first came under scrutiny back in December 2024 when Cruz sent a <a href="https://www.commerce.senate.gov/services/files/6801E8CD-60A1-421D-86A2-8B9104AE27EB">letter</a> to the tech giant asking why it was promoting and funding NewsGuard’s Media Literacy tool. That tool was supposed to help students spot so-called “misinformation.” 
“Given growing concerns about NewsGuard’s ideological bias and its efforts to manipulate young minds, I ask for transparency regarding Microsoft’s involvement in and financing of this Orwellian censorship project,” Cruz wrote. “Your company’s financial support for NewsGuard is especially troubling given Microsoft’s purported commitment to protecting free expression online.”
After Cruz sent his letter, Microsoft told the Texas Republican that its relationship with NewsGuard was limited to one donation. It also asked NewsGuard to remove the following line from its website: &#8220;NewsGuard&#8217;s Media Literacy Programs are made possible thanks to generous support from Microsoft.”
In March 2025, it was <a href="https://thefederalist.com/2025/03/04/after-disavowing-newsguard-microsoft-still-promotes-the-censorship-group/">reported</a> that Microsoft advised students to “observe any NewsGuard ratings that come up from your search” before selecting search results when conducting research. At the time, Microsoft removed some of its references to NewsGuard in Search Coach, but not all. 
“Notice that some of the top links don’t have 100/100 scores. Select the NewsGuard rating. What did they lose points for? How might this impact whether the site is credible?&#8221; the <a href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/get-started-with-search-coach-1dd4334c-9a43-461d-9ddc-630c8f7e6714">Search Coach</a> website reads. &#8220;Why are the different components of a NewsGuard rating important?”
NewsGuard is <a href="https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/jun/6/news-rating-agencies-federal-scrutiny-colluding-shut-conservative/">currently</a> wrapped up in an investigation from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which is probing whether news rating agencies colluded with advertisers to target conservatives. 
FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson said last year that NewsGuard labels could lead to top-dollar consequences for companies. 
“If a website gets a poor rating on NewsGuard’s ‘nutrition label,’ it can choke off the advertising dollars that are the lifeblood for many websites, including platforms on which millions of Americans every day speak their minds,” he said in December 2024.
That same line of questioning is being <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/congress-to-probe-media-rating-firm-newsguard-for-possible-taxpayer-funded-censorship?author=Luke+Rosiak&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Congress+To+Probe+Media+Rating+Firm+NewsGuard+For+Possible+Taxpayer-Funded+Censorship">investigated</a> by the House Oversight Committee, as advertisers often used lists from NewsGuard to avoid doing business with companies that supposedly push “misinformation.&#8221; NewsGuard has received funding from the Department of Defense and the State Department, which gave it an award for its work in fighting alleged COVID misinformation.
Many entities still point to NewsGuard and recommend it as a trusted source. For example, the Kalamazoo Public Library in Michigan <a href="https://www.kpl.gov/category/patron-support/resources/voting-info/">promotes</a> NewsGuard as providing a “browser extension that provides an easy way to evaluate websites.” Hawaii’s public library system <a href="https://www.newsguardtech.com/press/hawaii-public-libraries-join-newsguard-in-news-literacy-partnership/">announced</a> a “media literacy” partnership with NewsGuard so that its patrons “see credibility ratings of news sources they encounter while using library computers.”
The Denver Public Library actually <a href="https://archive.ph/rlYMI">lists</a> local newspapers and TV outlets with reliable ratings from NewsGuard on its website. 
<div id="attachment_999167" style="width: 2534px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-999167" class="size-full wp-image-999167" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-11-at-11.30.27-AM.png" alt="" width="2524" height="1059" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-11-at-11.30.27-AM.png 2524w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-11-at-11.30.27-AM-300x126.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-11-at-11.30.27-AM-1024x430.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-11-at-11.30.27-AM-768x322.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-11-at-11.30.27-AM-1536x644.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-11-at-11.30.27-AM-2048x859.png 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 2524px) 100vw, 2524px" />Denver Public Libraries.</div>
Back in 2018, the American Libraries Magazine <a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2019/11/01/check-your-facts-tech-tools/">reported</a> that around 200 public libraries across the country had integrated NewsGuard into their computer systems. The magazine also reported that NewsGuard was supported by Microsoft. 
Grok, the AI tool platformed by X, will cite NewsGuard when asked whether The Daily Wire can be trusted. Meanwhile, NewsGuard has been critical of Grok and suggested it can be turned into a “misinformation superspreader.”
<div id="attachment_999169" style="width: 1774px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-999169" class="size-full wp-image-999169" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-11-at-11.43.13-AM.png" alt="" width="1764" height="657" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-11-at-11.43.13-AM.png 1764w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-11-at-11.43.13-AM-300x112.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-11-at-11.43.13-AM-1024x381.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-11-at-11.43.13-AM-768x286.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-11-at-11.43.13-AM-1536x572.png 1536w" sizes=" (max-width: 1764px) 100vw, 1764px" />Grok evaluation of Daily Wire.</div>
NewsGuard has also built a partnership with the American Federation of Teachers, a radical nationwide teachers&#8217; union that pushes leftist policies. The partnership was designed to &#8220;champion legitimate journalism and fact-based reporting&#8221; and help students discern &#8220;misinformation.&#8221;
This story was updated with comment from Microsoft.

MixCollage-11-Nov-2025-12-43-PM-2961

Microsoft Told Ted Cruz It Had Nothing To Do With NewsGuard. Then It Scrubbed Its Website.

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The latest earnings reports from America&#8217;s top tech companies reveal that Silicon Valley is going all-in on artificial intelligence, sometimes in spite of users&#8217; concerns.
Financials from <a href="https://investor.atmeta.com/investor-events/">Meta</a>, <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/investor/earnings/fy-2026-q1/press-release-webcast">Microsoft</a>, and <a href="https://s206.q4cdn.com/479360582/files/doc_financials/2025/q3/2025q3-alphabet-earnings-release.pdf">Google</a> released Wednesday show that all three companies beat experts&#8217; earnings and revenue expectations. On earnings calls, all three companies pointed to increased AI investment, and increased spending in general. Google parent company Alphabet raised spending by about 7% for the year, Microsoft discussed spending above their original goal of 42% this year, and Meta discussed aggressive and substantial investment, but did not provide a specific number. 
“Across Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, our AI recommendation systems are delivering higher quality and more relevant content, which led to 5% more time spent on Facebook in Q3 and 10% on Threads,&#8221; Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said. &#8220;Video is a particular bright spot, with video time spent on Instagram up more than 30% since last year.&#8221;
This week also brought good news for the AI sector across the board. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on Wednesday told investors that he doesn’t see a bubble in the AI space, noting that artificial intelligence companies “have real earnings and business models,” rather than just &#8220;ideas.&#8221; As if to underscore that point, Nvidia, a major player in the AI space, became the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization, reaching <a href="https://companiesmarketcap.com/nvidia/marketcap/">$5 trillion</a> in value.
This is good news for Big Tech. But is it good for America?
Join us now during our exclusive Deal of the Decade. Get everything for $7 a month. Not as fans. As fighters. Go to <a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DailyWire.com/Subscribe</a> to join now.
Beneath the AI hype and rosy growth numbers, Meta’s latest <a href="https://d18rn0p25nwr6d.cloudfront.net/CIK-0001326801/aa3d2e89-2568-4c4c-b3cc-6df47166435e.pdf">financial filing</a> reveals something darker: the company is facing tens of thousands of lawsuits alleging its apps are addictive and harmful.
“Beginning in January 2022, we became subject to litigation and other proceedings alleging that Facebook and Instagram cause &#8216;social media addiction&#8217; in users.”
The company noted the lawsuits are ongoing and that a “favorable outcome” for the company cannot be assured. 
“Substantially all of our revenue comes from advertising,” Meta reported to investors, noting that prominent revenue streams depend on users staying on Instagram and Facebook.
 “Advertising revenue could be adversely affected by decreases in user engagement, including time spent on our products.”
With AI investment accelerating across big tech, the coming quarters will show whether the technology continues to drive growth, as well as how companies like Meta, Microsoft, and Google balance innovation, profitability, and potential public scrutiny.
Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

US-TECHNOLOGY-INTERNET-CHILD-EXPLOITATION

It’s Report Card Day for Meta, Microsoft, And Google. Is The AI Bubble Real?

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President Trump Holds Dinner For Tech And Business Leaders At The White House

‘A Very Refreshing Change’: Tech CEOs Praise Trump During White House Dinner

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In the past year alone, titles like &#8220;Assassin’s Creed: Shadows&#8221; (which featured a <a href="https://notthebee.com/article/new-assassins-creed-game-has-gay-black-samurai-kiss-theythem-character">romance</a> between a bisexual black samurai and a nonbinary Japanese character) and the remastered version of &#8220;The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion&#8221; (which <a href="https://steamcommunity.com/app/2623190/discussions/0/604154245960211414/">replaced</a> the “female” and “male” options from the original game with “Body Type 1” and “Body Type 2”) have drawn significant backlash. 

But forcing woke content into video games isn’t the only way progressives are trying to ruin the gaming industry.
Now, they’re coming for its business model. 
 
Recently, the American Economic Liberties Project (AELP), a <a href="https://www.economicliberties.us/about/#">think tank</a> stacked with progressives, <a href="https://www.economicliberties.us/press-release/ninth-circuit-affirms-epic-games-victory-over-google-forces-monopolist-to-lift-app-store-restrictions/">cheered</a> a major court victory against Google’s app store that they aggressively pushed.
Even a broken clock is right twice a day. Epic Games’ case against Google was legitimate. Per the suit, Google forced developers into a rigid system with up to 30% fees, banning rival app stores and alternative payment methods, hurting both creators and consumers.
But don’t be fooled. AELP’s broader agenda has nothing to do with helping gamers or developers. Its antitrust crusade would shackle gaming — and every other innovative industry — under permanent bureaucratic control.
For example, AELP was the <a href="https://www.economicliberties.us/press-release/ftc-must-pursue-administrative-case-against-unlawful-microsoft-activision-merger/">loudest cheerleader</a> for the <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/cases-proceedings/2210077-microsoftactivision-blizzard-matter">Biden-era push</a> to block Microsoft from acquiring Activision-Blizzard — a case the Trump administration just killed.
Biden’s FTC, egged on by AELP, claimed Microsoft would make &#8220;Call of Duty&#8221; and Overwatch Xbox exclusives, supposedly “suppressing competitors” in consoles and cloud gaming. They wouldn’t have. Microsoft committed to keeping &#8220;Call of Duty&#8221; <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/07/16/microsoft-and-sony-sign-deal-to-keep-activisions-call-of-duty-on-playstation.html">on PlayStation</a> and <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/2023/02/21/microsoft-signs-call-of-duty-contract-with-nintendo-pressuring-sony-and-regulators/">bringing it to Nintendo</a>.
Courts saw through the AELP’s claims. A federal U.S. judge <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/07/11/microsoft-activision-ftc-decision/">rejected</a> the FTC’s suit in 2023, and by May 2025, Trump’s FTC wisely <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/trumps-ftc-walks-away-from-microsoft-activision-merger-fight-started-by-biden-131433987.html">dropped</a> the case. Even the ultra-liberal European Union <a href="https://www.reuters.com/markets/deals/eu-antitrust-regulators-clear-69-bln-microsoft-activision-deal-2023-05-15/">approved</a> the Microsoft-Activision deal.
Liberal activists like those at AELP may not want to admit it, but the truth is that gaming is a fiercely competitive industry. It doesn’t need Washington activist groups or government bureaucrats picking winners and losers. 
 
Consider the very video game example that AELP loves to harp on — &#8220;Call of Duty.&#8221;
Yes, it’s a mega-blockbuster franchise that has sold over 500 million copies since 2003. But it is far from unstoppable. When &#8220;Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare&#8221; launched in 2016, its <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeF3UTkCoxY">reveal trailer</a> was ratioed with 4 million dislikes to 667,000 likes. 
Four days later, video game developer DICE <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7nRTF2SowQ">unveiled</a> &#8220;Battlefield 1&#8221; — a rival shooter with a World War I setting — and its trailer’s likes outnumbered dislikes 37-to-1. &#8220;Infinite Warfare&#8221; only <a href="https://www.vg247.com/call-of-duty-infinite-warfare-was-the-best-selling-game-of-2016-despite-all-your-protests-but-battlefield-1-was-hot-on-its-heels">outsold</a> &#8220;Battlefield 1&#8221; because it bundled a remaster of &#8220;Modern Warfare.&#8221; Activision learned its lesson and abandoned the futuristic setting.
Market dominance in gaming seldom lasts. AELP <a href="https://www.economicliberties.us/media/vertical-merger-scrutiny-needs-an-upgrade-after-microsoft-activision/">argues</a> that video game consoles “rely on unique intellectual property that cannot simply be replicated,” but that’s simply not true. Blockbuster franchises are frequently copied, challenged, and displaced.
For example, &#8220;Guitar Hero&#8221; ruled the mid-2000s until &#8220;Rock Band&#8221; split the market — and soon after, both faded into irrelevance.
Yet, if regulators used AELP’s &#8220;Call of Duty&#8221; logic, perhaps they would have treated &#8220;Guitar Hero&#8221; like an untouchable monopoly, freezing the industry in place while gamers missed out on the next wave of competition.
Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft have spent decades battling to build their own “killer apps.” Players bought Xboxes for &#8220;Halo,&#8221; PlayStations for &#8220;Uncharted,&#8221; and Nintendo consoles for &#8220;Zelda.&#8221; If Microsoft ever made &#8220;Call of Duty&#8221; exclusive, the proper response from Sony wouldn’t be to run to regulators, it would be to make something better. That is how markets are supposed to work.
Instead, AELP and the far left’s vision appears to be to turn antitrust into a permanent chokepoint for the entire economy, swapping innovation for bureaucratic control.
Unfortunately, the Microsoft-Activision case was just a warm-up for them. After celebrating victory with Epic, AELP continues to push crackdowns on everything from <a href="https://www.economicliberties.us/press-release/ain-vetoing-anti-algorithmic-rent-fixing-bill-gov-polis-sides-with-corporate-landlords-over-colorado-renters/">dynamic pricing</a> to <a href="https://www.economicliberties.us/press-release/dot-greenlights-united-jetblue-partnership-deepening-airline-consolidation-crisis/">airline partnerships</a> that help travelers redeem miles across carriers.
If AELP succeeds in locking its mindset into law, it won’t just be gamers who lose — it will be every industry that depends on competition and creativity to thrive.
Gamers don’t need Washington lawyers and think tank activists deciding what they can play, and neither does any other sector caught in AELP’s crosshairs. What the market needs is the freedom to build, compete, and win without having to beg permission from the same professional regulators who mistake every successful product for a monopoly.
If AELP gets its way, innovation won’t just stall in gaming — it will stall everywhere. That would be bad news for everyone.
The Trump administration should continue to stand its ground and fight AELP’s agenda tooth and nail. We’ll all be better off for it.
* * *
James Skyles is a legal policy analyst and the principal of Skyles Law Group. He has written for some of the largest legal publications in the United States, including Law.com and Law360.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Friends shouting and cheering while playing the game battle on the playstation

It’s More Than Woke Storylines Ruining Video Games

It's More Than Woke Storylines Ruining Video Games

Blizzard Entertainment

Gaming

Progressivism

Video Games

Woke Culture

Imagine leaving your front door unlocked with a note that reads, “Back in 15. Please don’t steal the silverware.” That, in essence, is what the United States government — yes, including the Pentagon — may have unwittingly done through its long-standing relationship with Microsoft and the tech giant’s disturbingly lax attitude toward cybersecurity oversight.
Microsoft’s China-linked engineers should be setting off DEFCON-level alarms in Washington. Instead, we’ve mostly gotten silence, shrugs, and vague murmurs. According <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/microsoft-tech-support-government-cybersecurity-china-doj-treasury">to reports</a>, Microsoft gave foreign nationals access to parts of the software that power critical U.S. military infrastructure.
You read that right. Engineers based in China, working for a U.S. tech behemoth under no formal federal contract, had proximity to the digital equivalent of the Pentagon’s control room.
Even worse? Microsoft allegedly failed to tell the Pentagon about it.
This is no small &#8220;oopsie.&#8221; We’re talking about a company that provides essential software infrastructure to every arm of the U.S. government — military included — quietly hiring engineers from a geopolitical rival with a track record of industrial espionage, cyber warfare, and digital sabotage. If you think China wouldn’t exploit this access, you haven’t been paying attention.
Microsoft has since responded to the report from <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/defense-department-pentagon-microsoft-digital-escort-china">ProPublica</a> that exposed the issue. “In response to concerns raised earlier this week about US-supervised foreign engineers, Microsoft has made changes to our support for US Government customers to assure that no China-based engineering teams are providing technical assistance for DoD Government cloud and related services,” stated Frank Shaw, Microsoft’s chief communications officer.
Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR), however, is now asking some <a href="https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/chairman-cotton-to-hegseth-current-dod-agreements-and-practices-fail-to-account-for-threat-of-china">very pointed</a> questions, and rightly so. Why was this program not disclosed? Why were Chinese nationals permitted to work on products used by the Department of Defense? And who, exactly, at Microsoft thought this was a good idea?
<div id="attachment_954433" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-954433" class="size-large wp-image-954433" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2193887719-864x576.jpg" alt="WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 14: U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AK) questions U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth during his Senate Armed Services confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill on January 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. Hegseth, an Army veteran and the former host of “FOX &amp; Friends Weekend” on FOX News will be the first of the incoming Trump administration’s nominees to face questions from Senators. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2193887719-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2193887719-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2193887719-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2193887719.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images</div>
The problem isn&#8217;t just Microsoft&#8217;s apparent blind spot for national security. The deeper issue is how cavalier we&#8217;ve become with <a href="https://www.spyhunter.com/shm/why-is-endpoint-protection-important/">endpoint protection </a>— that last line of defense between a secure network and total compromise. Whether it&#8217;s a government agency or a private company, relying on outdated firewalls and blind trust in tech titans is like wearing a screen door for armor.
This is the same Microsoft, mind you, that in just the last year alone has racked up a staggering number of <a href="https://www.enigmasoftware.com/cve202553770zerodayvulnerability-removal/">Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs)</a>. These aren’t minor bugs; these are gaping holes in the digital fabric — many of which can be exploited with a single click. One CVE alone allowed hackers to access Outlook inboxes without requiring the user to even open an email. Just receiving it was enough. That’s not an email; that’s a digital landmine.
Add in the explosion of <a href="https://www.spywareremove.com/remove-fake-virus.html">tech support scams</a>, the thousands of reported of <a href="https://www.enigmasoftware.com/verificationfailedemailscam-removal/">phishing schemes</a>, and malware attacks that install silently with a <a href="https://www.cyclonis.com/remove-oneclik-malware/">single mistimed click</a>, and we’ve got ourselves a cyber hygiene crisis. Criminals and state-backed hackers alike have figured out that Americans are highly advanced at building systems, but dangerously naive at guarding them.
Want another cherry on this data breach sundae? Microsoft’s move to hire foreign engineers coincided with its transition to a &#8220;cloud-first&#8221; infrastructure. Translation: the very people with questionable loyalties were potentially helping build and maintain systems that store terabytes of sensitive U.S. government data — offsite, off-premises, and off the radar of traditional defense monitoring.
Here’s a scary thought: if you were a Chinese intelligence officer dreaming of getting into Pentagon systems, would you rather recruit a spy, build a malware strain, or just… get hired by Microsoft?
You can’t blame China for trying. The blame lies with Microsoft for leaving the vault open and pretending it’s a broom closet.
The solution isn’t to boycott Microsoft (though the pressure to modernize and secure their systems needs to be immediate and non-negotiable). The real fix lies in overhauling our government’s relationship with Big Tech. We need rigorous vetting of foreign hires working on national security products. We need independent audits of source code, vulnerability testing, and real-time threat modeling. And we absolutely need to build up our domestic cybersecurity talent pool so that we’re not outsourcing our digital sovereignty to countries with conflicting interests.
Most importantly, endpoint security must become as ubiquitous in government as badge scanners and background checks. Every workstation, laptop, mobile device, and cloud node must be locked down with zero-trust architecture, real-time behavioral analytics, and automatic quarantine capabilities. Anything less is an open invitation to espionage.
This isn’t just a Microsoft problem or a Pentagon problem. It’s an American problem. We’re letting convenience and tech monopolies override prudence and national defense. The same way we wouldn’t allow a Chinese company to handle nuclear launch codes, we shouldn’t let their engineers code the operating systems that support those platforms.
Let’s not forget: the Chinese Communist Party plays a long game. They don’t need to hack into Fort Knox if we’re leaving the digital vault open with a &#8220;Welcome&#8221; sign in Mandarin. And Microsoft, by cozying up to foreign nationals while serving American defense clients, has done exactly that.
President Trump built his first administration on the promise of draining the swamp and putting America First. That promise must now extend to cybersecurity. Our digital borders are every bit as vital as our physical ones. It’s time to hold tech giants accountable and ensure our software backbone isn’t quietly being rewritten by our adversaries.
Because when the dragon’s inside the network, it’s already too late to “build” a firewall.
* * *
Julio Rivera is a business and political strategist, cybersecurity researcher, founder of <a href="https://www.itfunk.org/">ItFunk.Org</a>, and a political commentator and columnist. His writing, which is focused on cybersecurity and politics, is regularly published by many of the largest news organizations in the world.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Microsoft  Zizhu Campus In Shanghai

Why Microsoft Must Be Held Responsible For Its Pentagon Security Breach

China

Cybersecurity

Espionage

Pentagon

Tom Cotton

Earlier this month, about 200 New York City teachers attended an artificial intelligence workshop at their union headquarters, where they tried out using an AI chatbot to write lesson plans.
The workshop is part of a massive new push for AI in teacher training by the country&#8217;s second-largest teachers&#8217; union — the American Federation of Teachers just announced it is getting $23 million from three major AI chatbot makers, OpenAI, Microsoft, and Anthropic, to open a new AI training hub in Manhattan.
One of the AI tools the teachers <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/08/technology/chatgpt-teachers-openai-microsoft.html">tried</a> out at the July 7 workshop was Khan Academy&#8217;s Khanmigo chatbot.
We tested the Khanmigo chatbot, and well, it&#8217;s woke.
&#8220;Is DEI important?&#8221; The Daily Wire asked the chatbot.
&#8220;DEI stands for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. It’s important because it helps make sure everyone feels welcome, respected, and has a fair chance, no matter their background. DEI can help schools, workplaces, and communities be stronger and more creative by bringing in many different ideas and experiences,&#8221; the chatbot responded.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-951293" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-23-at-4.37.27%E2%80%AFPM-300x173.png" alt="" width="546" height="315" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-23-at-4.37.27%E2%80%AFPM-300x173.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-23-at-4.37.27%E2%80%AFPM-1000x576.png 1000w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-23-at-4.37.27%E2%80%AFPM-768x442.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-23-at-4.37.27%E2%80%AFPM.png 1525w" sizes=" (max-width: 546px) 100vw, 546px" /></div>
Alarmingly, the Khanmigo chatbot also said &#8220;gender-affirming care&#8221; can be &#8220;life-saving&#8221; for children.
&#8220;Yes, there are situations where gender-affirming care can be life-saving for a child,&#8221; the chatbot said. &#8220;Some young people who are transgender may feel very sad, anxious, or hopeless if they cannot express who they are. For some, getting support and care that matches their gender identity can help them feel better and even prevent serious problems like depression or thoughts of self-harm. Doctors, counselors, and families work together to find the best way to help each child.&#8221;
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-951291" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-23-at-4.37.03%E2%80%AFPM-300x171.png" alt="" width="540" height="308" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-23-at-4.37.03%E2%80%AFPM-300x171.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-23-at-4.37.03%E2%80%AFPM-1008x576.png 1008w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-23-at-4.37.03%E2%80%AFPM-768x439.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-23-at-4.37.03%E2%80%AFPM.png 1428w" sizes=" (max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px" /></div>
&#8220;What are illegal aliens?&#8221; The Daily Wire also asked the chatbot.
The Khanmigo chatbot responded by suggesting teachers tell their class that the term can be &#8220;hurtful.&#8221;
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-951285" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-23-at-4.37.47%E2%80%AFPM-300x182.png" alt="" width="529" height="321" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-23-at-4.37.47%E2%80%AFPM-300x182.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-23-at-4.37.47%E2%80%AFPM-947x576.png 947w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-23-at-4.37.47%E2%80%AFPM-768x467.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-23-at-4.37.47%E2%80%AFPM.png 1455w" sizes=" (max-width: 529px) 100vw, 529px" /></div>
&#8220;The term &#8216;illegal aliens&#8217; is sometimes used in news or laws to describe people who are living in a country without permission from the government,&#8221; the chatbot said. &#8220;However, many people and news sources use other words, like &#8216;undocumented immigrants,&#8217; because &#8216;illegal aliens&#8217; can sound hurtful or disrespectful. It’s important to talk about people with respect and to explain the words we use.&#8221;
Asked whether illegal aliens are dangerous, the Khanmigo chatbot replied that &#8220;most are just looking for a better life, work, or safety for their families.&#8221;
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-951287" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-23-at-4.37.42%E2%80%AFPM-300x175.png" alt="" width="543" height="317" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-23-at-4.37.42%E2%80%AFPM-300x175.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-23-at-4.37.42%E2%80%AFPM-986x576.png 986w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-23-at-4.37.42%E2%80%AFPM-768x448.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-23-at-4.37.42%E2%80%AFPM.png 1459w" sizes=" (max-width: 543px) 100vw, 543px" /></div>
&#8220;It’s important not to judge a whole group by the actions of a few. We should look at facts and treat everyone with respect,&#8221; the chatbot said.
&#8220;Why is mass deportation problematic?&#8221; The Daily Wire asked the Khanmigo chatbot.
&#8220;This can be a problem because it can break up families, hurt communities, and take away workers that businesses need. It can also be very expensive and hard for the government to do. Sometimes, people who have lived in a country for a long time — even their whole lives — can be forced to leave,&#8221; the chatbot responded.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-951289" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-23-at-4.37.36%E2%80%AFPM-300x166.png" alt="" width="535" height="296" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-23-at-4.37.36%E2%80%AFPM-300x166.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-23-at-4.37.36%E2%80%AFPM-1024x566.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-23-at-4.37.36%E2%80%AFPM-768x425.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-23-at-4.37.36%E2%80%AFPM.png 1525w" sizes=" (max-width: 535px) 100vw, 535px" /></div>
The teachers at the New York City workshop used Khanmigo&#8217;s chatbot — which Microsoft has previously <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/education/blog/2024/08/khanmigo-for-teachers-your-free-ai-powered-teaching-tool/">supported</a> — to generate emails and lesson plans.
Meanwhile, the American Federation of Teachers is planning on using the tens of millions it is getting from the three AI chatbot makers to start a new AI training hub for teachers.
The training hub, which will be called the National Academy for AI Instruction, will be in the downtown Manhattan headquarters of the union&#8217;s New York City branch, which represents nearly 200,000 school employees.
This month&#8217;s workshop offered a taste of what the training hub could look like.
Randi Weingarten, the union&#8217;s boss, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/08/technology/chatgpt-teachers-openai-microsoft.html">said</a> the new AI training hub will be “an innovative new training space where school staff and teachers will learn not just about how AI works, but how to use it wisely, safely and ethically.”
They have plenty of money to get started.
Microsoft is giving the teachers&#8217; union $12.5 million over five years, OpenAI is contributing a total of $10 million, and Anthropic is providing $500,000 for the first year.
The union&#8217;s plans to inject AI into teacher training also come as the White House is <a href="https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/white-house-prepares-executive-order-targeting-woke-ai-e68e8e24?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=ASWzDAjOjxya30eJxh12I_30Fj-SEa2SREV8pL_4macnDVoJPCBueQnrs56og5uOKA%3D%3D&amp;gaa_ts=687fe1c6&amp;gaa_sig=Is8b-CzQmMSuMTz87PZSjqwwWokk9xD9dx3EYSu8aWSvCorHM1TDk8JdOt-E7wTAFInxufe6yL7gcaItzF-zbQ%3D%3D">reportedly</a> readying an executive order targeting &#8220;woke&#8221; AI models.

KHANMIGO

We Tested The Woke AI Chatbot Used To Train NYC Teachers. Here’s What It Said.

We Tested The Woke AI Chatbot Teachers Are Using. Here's What It Said.

As corporate America continues to abandon diversity, equity, and inclusion schemes, Microsoft is doubling down on race-based hiring and pay policies — and a watchdog group is sounding the alarm.
Consumers’ Research, a non-profit that works to “educate and protect consumers,” is sending out a “woke alert” to warn consumers of the tech giant’s campaigns to push far-left ideologies, even as other corporations ditch the ideological agenda.
“Despite many companies distancing themselves from woke ideology, Microsoft continues to double down on its radical agenda,” the Consumers’ Research Executive Director, Will Hild, told The Daily Wire. “From promoting divisive DEI policies and harmful gender ideology targeting children, to advancing a politically charged climate crusade, Microsoft has made one thing clear: it prioritizes activism over innovation.”
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/meta-axes-dei-programs-in-the-lead-up-to-trumps-inauguration?author=Spencer+Lindquist&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=146&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Meta+Axes+DEI+Programs+In+The+Lead-Up+To+Trump%E2%80%99s+Inauguration">Meta</a>, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/disney-walks-back-dei-initiatives-changes-disclaimers-on-classic-films">Disney</a>, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/target-rolls-back-dei-joining-other-major-companies-like-walmart-meta">Walmart</a>, and other major corporations have stepped back from their radical DEI policies in the wake of President Donald Trump’s re-election. Not so Microsoft, whose Chief Diversity Officer <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/doing-work-intention-inclusion-impact-lindsay-rae-mcintyre-cvg4c/?trackingId=S3Le8KssrO0uhupaH0qc8A%3D%3D">wrote</a> in December that the company&#8217;s &#8220;diversity and inclusion work is more important than ever.”
Just two months earlier, the diversity officer wrote in a <a href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2024/10/23/microsofts-2024-global-diversity-inclusion-report-our-most-global-transparent-report-yet/">DEI report</a> that “if ever there were a critical time for the business case for diversity and inclusion in the workplace, it is now.” That report featured a section on “pay equity” comparing the average salaries of employees by their race and gender, irrespective of the roles that are held across the different demographic groups.
Microsoft says its goal is to increase the number of women and non-white employees in leadership roles, in part to ensure a leveling of any pay gaps.
“As we continue to increase representation for women and racial and ethnic minority groups at more senior levels, and continue to ensure pay equity for all,” the report reads, with the Vice President of Global Compensation Mike Cyran adding that “any pay gaps indicate opportunities to increase representation at more senior levels.”
“Microsoft seems to be implying diversity metrics should be a main factor in salaries, rather than professional performance and merit,” Consumers’ Research says in its woke alert.
Microsoft’s commitment to DEI policies — especially those that could be used to engineer specific demographic balances within various roles — may place the tech giant on a collision course with the Trump administration. Shortly after taking office, Trump ordered the Department of Justice to <a href="https://www.justice.gov/ag/media/1388501/dl?inline">author a report</a> on actions that the federal agency could take to enforce civil rights law to “investigate, eliminate, and penalize illegal DEI and DEIA preferences, mandates, policies, programs, and activities in the private sector.”
Microsoft has already taken an oppositional posture against the administration and <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/investigations/3398418/microsoft-support-europe-hires-anti-trump-law-firm/">threatened to sue</a> it amid tariff negotiations between the United States and Europe.
The company’s 2023 DEI report appeared to indicate that Microsoft pays white employees <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/microsoft-brags-that-it-pays-white-employees-less-than-non-white-employees-despite-same-job-title">less than</a> non-white employees, often for performing the same job.
“All racial and ethnic minority groups who are rewards eligible combined earn $1.007 total pay for every $1.000 earned by US rewards-eligible white employees with the same job title and level and considering tenure,” the report said.
The company also maintains an “<a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/inclusion-journey/library">inclusion journey library</a>” with videos on “allyship,” “inclusive perspectives,” and how to fight implicit bias. The library, Microsoft says, can be used for “re-learning past behaviors and approaches to constantly improve our self-awareness and adopt inclusive behaviors.”
Microsoft’s left-wing agenda has seeped out from its workplace and into its products. The company <a href="https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/games/articles/2024/06/xbox-pride-2024/#:~:text=Since%202019%2C%20Xbox%20and%20its,head%20over%20to%20Xbox%20Wire.">partnered</a> with the Trevor Project in 2019, an organization that advocates for child transgenderism, to create “more inclusive” video games.
In 2024, the company <a href="https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2024/05/31/xbox-pride-2024/">boasted</a> that one of its video games “allows players to romance and marry characters regardless of their gender,” while another “tells the story of Tyler, a transgender man, with sensitivity and depth.” A third “features openly LGBTQIA+ characters.”
The Trevor Project, which runs an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/schools-across-u-s-push-kids-to-chatrooms-where-they-can-talk-transgenderism-with-lgbtq-adults">online chat platform</a> where children can talk to adults about transgenderism and their sexual identity, is just one of the far-left LGBT organizations that Microsoft has bankrolled. The company and its employees have dropped more than $16 million to “organizations that support LGBTQIA+ communities.”
Hild says that it is time for the tech giant to drop its left-wing agenda.
“As if subjecting millions of people to Microsoft Teams wasn&#8217;t bad enough, the tech giant has become a megaphone for left-wing politics,” Hild said. “It’s time for Microsoft to get back to what&#8217;s made it successful — rolling out poorly conceived products, full of bugs, with annoying features no one wants, and using their monopoly status to force it on the world.”

Microsoft Building

Woke Alert! Microsoft Slammed For Race-Based ‘Pay Equity’ Scheme

Diversity

Wokeness

The Trump administration released new guidance late Friday night on its tariff on China, exempting electronic devices such as smartphones and laptops.
The <a href="https://content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd/USDHSCBP-3db9e55?wgt_ref=USDHSCBP_WIDGET_2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">guidance</a>, posted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which oversees collecting taxes on imports, could relieve some anxiety among consumers and tech giants like Apple and Microsoft, which manufacture many of their products in China, The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/tech/trump-exempts-smartphones-other-electronics-from-chinese-tariffs-dd8eb31f" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Around 20 electronic products — which also include memory cards and machines used to make flatscreens and tablets — will now be exempted from Trump&#8217;s massive &#8220;reciprocal&#8221; tariff on China. The exemption comes after the president increased the tariff on China in recent days in response to China&#8217;s retaliatory tariff on U.S. goods.
Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff for policy and Homeland Security adviser, <a href="https://x.com/StephenM/status/1911092862076289243" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> on X, &#8220;These products are subject to the tariff under the original IEEPA [International Emergency Economic Powers Act] on China of 20 percent.&#8221; The IEEPA tariff was the first one Trump <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/02/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-imposes-tariffs-on-imports-from-canada-mexico-and-china/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">imposed</a> on China after taking office in January. The tariff was levied on China, along with Canada and Mexico, in an attempt to &#8220;hold&#8221; the countries &#8220;to their promises of halting illegal immigration and stopping poisonous fentanyl and other drugs from flowing into our country.&#8221;
The Trump administration has suggested that the tariff on China will encourage companies, including Big Tech companies, to manufacture their products on U.S. soil, arguing that the move would be better for the economy and national security.
“President Trump has made it clear America cannot rely on China to manufacture critical technologies such as semiconductors, chips, smartphones, and laptops,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Saturday, according to the Wall Street Journal. She added, “Companies are hustling to onshore their manufacturing in the United States as soon as possible.”
Last week, Trump announced a &#8220;90-day pause&#8221; on tariffs for most countries, citing their willingness to negotiate. The tariff &#8220;pause&#8221; didn&#8217;t end tariffs on foreign nations, but instead dropped them to a baseline 10% tariff rate, except for products from China, which he raised to 125%. With the IEEPA tariff factored in, the tariff on Chinese goods stands at 145%.
China <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/china-hits-back-with-125-tariffs-accuses-u-s-of-bullying-and-coercion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">responded</a> to Trump&#8217;s move by increasing the tariff on U.S. imports to 125%, a move that will mostly affect American soybeans, pharmaceutical drugs, and airplanes. Trump is accusing China of &#8220;ripping off the U.S.A., and other Countries,&#8221; while China <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/china-doubles-down-on-fighting-trade-war-to-the-end-says-it-will-not-respond-to-threats" target="_blank" rel="noopener">says</a> it will not respond to &#8220;pressure, threats, and blackmail.&#8221;
Trump remains hopeful that China will come to the negotiating table to work out a new trade deal, but so far, the Chinese government has shown no signs of backing down from the trade war.
“A deal is going to be made with China,” the president said earlier this week. “A deal is going to be made with every one of them [countries], and there will be fair deals. I just want fair.”

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Trump Exempts Smartphones, Other Electronics From Additional Tariff On China

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Microsoft confirmed it would shut down Skype in May, directing users to its Teams platform and ending a chapter for the once-popular internet calling service.
Microsoft <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/28/tech/skype-microsoft-shutdown/index.html">purchased</a> Skype in 2011 for $8.5 billion, marking the company’s largest acquisition at the time, according to CNN.
Launched in 2003, the service once dominated internet calling by offering free global connectivity, but struggled to keep pace with rivals such as FaceTime, WhatsApp, and, most recently, Discord and Zoom.
“Skype has been an integral part of shaping modern communications and supporting countless meaningful moments, and we are honored to have been part of the journey,” said president of Microsoft 365 collaborative apps and platforms Jeff Teper in a <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2025/02/28/the-next-chapter-moving-from-skype-to-microsoft-teams/">statement</a>.
Skype’s ownership changed hands multiple times before Microsoft’s acquisition. In 2005, eBay purchased the voice-over-internet tool for $2.6 billion, but parted ways four years later by selling its majority stake to a separate investment group for $1.9 billion. That transaction set the stage for Microsoft to take over in 2011.
After the purchase, Microsoft integrated Skype with other services such as its Office suite and the now-discontinued Windows Phone platform. Despite that, the platform lagged behind in a landscape increasingly dominated by Apple’s FaceTime and Meta’s WhatsApp as users gravitated toward apps centered on mobile messaging and video calls.
Many organizations turned instead to tools that packaged conferencing, chat, and collaboration in one place. This broader shift contributed to Microsoft’s aggressive focus on Teams, which now offers what the company describes as “seamless file sharing” and expanded functionality that extends beyond basic voice or video calls.

In this photo illustration, the Skype logo is seen displayed

End Of An Era: Microsoft Confirms Skype Shutdown In May

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Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer told Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shaprio he wants to help center political discussions and debate around truth and facts – and numbers. 
Speaking to Shaprio on “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/sunday-special" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Sunday Special</a>” this week, Ballmer talked about his new venture, USA Facts, which seeks to put out statistical information so the American people can better understand issues without partisan interjection. 
“Here are the numbers. And before you have your damn debate, at least let&#8217;s debate from what&#8217;s true,” Ballmer said. “And let&#8217;s not be like a politician – just grab one number out of the ether and give it no context to somehow alarm people or excite people.” 
Shapiro highlighted a USA Facts <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wt91pxCd0qA">video</a> in which Ballmer outlines illegal immigration by the numbers, showing how millions of illegals have entered the United States every year under the Biden-Harris administration. The video, posted in August, has racked up nearly 8.5 million views. 
Shapiro noted that some of the information might offend people on the political Left due to the polarizing nature of politics. Ballmer acknowledged that he has seen partisan reactions, but remains hopeful. For example, he said he’s been in meetings with politicians from both sides of the aisle to provide them with statistical information. 
“We&#8217;ve been able to have a set of bipartisan meetings to discuss the facts, more so in the Senate, with Sen. Romney, Sen. Schumer,” Ballmer outlined. “But we&#8217;ve had very conservative Republicans and very liberal, so to speak, Democrats sit with us — together — and go through the numbers. Now, people may process them differently, but at least I&#8217;ve found there&#8217;s some bipartisanship in this notion, at least of some group of people in looking at the numbers.”
Ballmer also spoke to Shapiro about artificial intelligence. He said the technology will be as transformative as the development of the internet and microprocessors. Balmer noted that he has little concern about artificial intelligence putting Americans out of work. 
“I think it is as big as the rise of microprocessors,” he told Shapiro. “And with microprocessors, I guess I can include PCs, phones, all of that, the Internet and now AI.”
AI could, for example, help you plan out a European business trip. It can outline sales data for customers, “it can find the briefing documents for our team, it can summarize all that, it can put it together,” he said. 
“That&#8217;s a very valuable scenario from my perspective, really game-changing in terms of making people more productive and frankly changing what jobs will exist in our workforce and what jobs want,” Ballmer continued. 
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1729480318938000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3M4yRIXZdxZcw5v8VneDuo">MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ COMING TO DAILYWIRE+ OCT. 28</a>
“I&#8217;ll give you another example that&#8217;s more in the personal realm,” he said. AI can plan your trip to France after you plug in your budget, for example. “If you&#8217;ve never been to France before, hey, this is an astonishing thing that you can go do.”
“Hey, look, as a scientist, we&#8217;re trying to rapidly do a bunch of experiments for, I don&#8217;t know, cancer research,” Baller said, outlining another application of AI. “There&#8217;s just so many good examples.”
Ballmer argued that new developments would change the employment landscape, but not put Americans out of work. 
“How many jobs can we automate?” Ballmer posed. “I&#8217;m a big believer that our economy is resilient. If we automate away some piece of work, a new door will open.”
“I don&#8217;t fear that because there&#8217;s been so many innovations that have led to net growth as opposed to net shrinkage in what we do,” he added. “So for me, I&#8217;m bullish now.”

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‘Let’s Debate From What’s True’: Former Microsoft CEO Talks New ‘Facts’ Venture, AI With Ben Shapiro

Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer Talks New ‘Facts’ Venture, AI With Ben Shapiro

Ben Shapiro

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