FTC in Settlement Talks With Ad Companies in Boycott Probe

The government began an inquiry last year into whether ad firms were funneling client dollars away from certain media platforms

The Federal Trade Commission is negotiating a potential settlement with several major advertising companies to resolve a probe into whether they violated federal antitrust laws by coordinating boycotts against platforms including Elon Musk’s X, people familiar with the matter said.

The FTC began an inquiry last year, seeking information from the world’s largest ad firms, including Publicis Groupe PUB 1.77%increase; green up pointing triangle, WPP WPP 0.46%increase; green up pointing triangle, Dentsu, Havas and Horizon Media. The government’s probe centered on whether these companies, alongside various advocacy groups, engaged in anticompetitive behavior by collectively withholding ad dollars from certain online destinations.