Microsoft has disavowed its affiliation with NewsGuard after Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, slammed the Big Tech company for funding a censorship tool created by the left-wing media monitor.
In December, Cruz fired off a strongly-worded letter to CEO Satya Nadella demanding to know answers about Microsoft’s promotion and apparent funding of the online “media literacy” tool.
NewsGuard claims to have created it to guide “learners of all ages through the overwhelming landscape of online news and information.”
Conservatives say NewsGuard’s tool and its blacklisting efforts are simply about suppressing viewpoints and news using highly subjective ratings.
In response to Cruz’s letter, Microsoft said its support of NewsGuard was limited to a one-time donation in 2018.
Microsoft also said it asked NewsGuard to remove the claim on its website.
