FTC, Ad Companies Agree to Settlement Terms in Boycott Probe

The Federal Trade Commission and a coalition of eight states have reached a proposed settlement with major advertising companies to resolve a probe into whether the firms violated antitrust laws by coordinating boycotts against platforms, including Elon Musk’s X. The FTC alleged in a complaint filed April 15 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas that the ad giants worked with third-party groups to establish ways to keep their ads away from misinformation or objectionable content. The FTC’s complaint said those entities, such as NewsGuard and the Global Disinformation Index, weaponized such designations to systematically demonetize disfavored political viewpoints—particularly conservative news and commentary sites. Brand-safety agreements “distorted the marketplace of ideas by discriminating against speech and ideas,” said FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson.