- The FTC and a coalition of eight Republican AGs reached settlements with Dentsu US, Inc., GroupM Worldwide LLC (d/b/a WPP Media), and Publicis, Inc. over allegations that the companies violated Section 5 of the FTC Act and Section 1 of the Sherman Act by coordinating digital advertising “brand safety” standards.
- The complaint alleged the firms used trade associations to establish a common “Brand Safety Floor” targeting “misinformation,” against a backdrop of efforts to deny advertising revenue to disfavored conservative news and opinion sites.
- The regulators claimed this shared standard reduced ad revenues for many conservative publishers and allowed the agencies to act as a “single entity,” insulating them from competition to develop differentiated brand-safety tools for advertisers.
- Under the final orders, the companies are permanently barred from agreements with rivals or third parties that restrict ad spending based on political or ideological viewpoints and from relying on exclusion or inclusion lists based on those criteria, unless a client expressly directs otherwise. The orders also require annual compliance reports for five years, independent monitors, and each company to bear its own costs and attorney fees.