US FTC in settlement talks with ad companies in boycott probe, WSJ reports

Source: Reuters

April 12, 2026 5:50 PM EDT Updated 10 hours ago


April 12 (Reuters) - The U.S. 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, the Wall Street Journal ​reported on Sunday, citing people familiar with the ​matter.

Several advertising firms, including Dentsu (4324.T), Publicis (PUBP.PA), and WPP (WPP.L), ⁠would commit not to direct clients' advertising budgets away ​from media platforms based on political content that might ​appear on those sites, the Journal said.

However, individual advertisers would still be free to choose to avoid specific sites for their advertisements, ​the report added. Reuters could not immediately verify the ​report. The FTC did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for ‌comment.

Last ⁠year, the agency greenlit Omnicom's (OMC.N) $13.5 billion acquisition of rival Interpublic on the condition the new company does not enter agreements with others to steer ad dollars toward or away ​from publishers ​based on political ⁠content. Talks between the FTC and the advertising companies are ongoing, and it remains ​possible that no deal will be reached, the ​report ⁠said.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/us-ftc-settlement-talks-with-ad-companies-boycott-probe-wsj-reports-2026-04-12/