FTC Probes Alleged Coordination Among Ad and Advocacy Groups in Boycott Efforts

The Federal Trade Commission is conducting an investigation into whether approximately twelve prominent advertising and advocacy organizations violated antitrust regulations by coordinating boycotts among advertisers seeking to prevent their brands from appearing alongside hateful online content, according to sources familiar with the matter.

This probe encompasses an earlier investigation involving Media Matters, a progressive advocacy group that has published research highlighting hateful and antisemitic content on X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk, alongside other advocacy and advertising industry entities.

Vanessa Otero, CEO of Ad Fontes Media, a media watchdog organization, confirmed receiving a letter from the FTC dated May 20 requesting information about the company’s operations in connection with a potential collusion investigation. Nearly a dozen additional groups have reportedly received similar communications.