The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has lifted its own rules to allow three sovereign wealth funds, run by governments of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi, to own a 49.5 percent stake in Paramount-Warner Bros. This move comes despite the FCC's history of blocking interviews with certain political figures and censoring late-night TV hosts.

The FCC argues that the purchased stocks lack voting rights, thus preventing any control over the company's decisions. However, critics, including the advocacy group Free Press, argue that any government control over major media companies is problematic, given the potential for propaganda use.

Anna Gomez, the sole Democratic commissioner at the FCC, tweeted that this decision allows repressive governments to gain significant influence over America's media landscape. She stated, 'The FCC just let some of the most repressive governments in the world indirectly control nearly all of a combined Paramount-Warner Bros.'

This decision has sparked concern among those who believe that media ownership should be free from government influence, regardless of the country's political system.