FTC's Antitrust Probe Targets Major Advertising Firms

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is investigating several major advertising firms to determine if they have breached antitrust laws by allegedly coordinating boycotts of specific sites, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

The probe involves key players in the advertising sector, including Omnicom, WPP, Dentsu, Interpublic Group, Publicis Groupe, Havas, and Horizon Media. The FTC has sent information requests to these agencies as part of its investigation.

Additionally, the FTC is examining nonprofit media watchdogs such as Media Matters and Ad Fontes Media for their involvement in potentially influencing advertisers' decisions. This investigation marks heightened scrutiny of the interactions between watchdogs and advertisers following Elon Musk's acquisition of X, formerly known as Twitter. The involved parties have largely refrained from commenting on the ongoing investigation.

(With inputs from agencies.)