This week, the Federal Trade Commission under the leadership of Chairman Andrew Ferguson secured a monumental agreement among two of the leading global advertising firms that could have significant implications for media outlets currently blocked from advertisers over political viewpoints.
During a $13.5 billion merger just approved by the FTC on Monday, two of the six major global advertising firms Omnicom Group and Interpublic Group (IPG) have agreed to cease all coordinated efforts to “steer advertising dollars away from publishers based on their political or ideological viewpoints.” This merger between the third- and fourth-largest companies will create the largest advertising groups. From the FTC press release:
“As already highlighted, the Commission, in reviewing a merger that affects an increase in concentration, is always duty-bound to address the risk of collusion. As a leading antitrust treatise makes clear, “evidence of historical attempts at collusion or evidence that collusion is actually
occurring in the present could be considered as ‘exacerbating’ factors sufficient to warrant a merger challenge under circumstances where structural evidence alone would be insufficient.” Evidence of past collusion or attempted collusion has played a key role in judicial decisions enjoining mergers under Section 7 for many years before the Commission adopted the 2023 Guidelines. And in negotiating settlements, the Commission may impose stringent remedies based on past collusion in the industry.“In this case, to resolve the Commission’s concerns, the parties have proposed a remedy in the form of conduct restrictions that will mitigate this merger’s anticompetitive effects. The history of collusion in the market for media-buying services, and the increased potential for collusion postmerger, make this a rare instance where the imposition of a behavioral remedy is appropriate.”
The FTC states that they are “well prepared” to monitor the restrictions made in this agreement, noting that there are “active investigations” into such conduct and that “any future attempts at collusion by Omnicon and IPG are unlikely to remain hidden.” Chairman Ferguson notes that advertisement publishers will have a “powerful incentive” to alert the Commission as to any unlawful collusion.
In recent years, the advertising industry “has been plagued by deliberate, coordinated efforts to steer ad revenue away from certain news organizations, media outlets, and social media networks.” Much of this was accomplished through a concerted effort of the World Federation of Advertisers through an organization called the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM). Omnicon and IPG were both founding members of the group that accounts for around 90% of global advertising spending.
News organizations such as The Gateway Pundit and Breitbart, as well as social media outlets such as Rumble and X should now be able to compete for advertisements on the grounds of their success and viewership rather than on their political viewpoints. In recent years, reporting on controversial topics such as the “safe and effective” narrative behind COVID vaccines, the use of off-label drugs such as Ivermectin or Fenbendazole to treat COVID, or pushing back, with evidence, against “the most secure election in US history” narratives could result in a ‘blacklisting’ from major advertising firms.
“Today, Omnicom and IPG have committed themselves to help stop that sort of coordination in their industry. This consent agreement will help mitigate the dangers inherent in a consolidated national advertising market. I hope the conditions imposed on this merger will encourage all
advertising firms to adopt similar practices and thereby reduce the temptation to collude to the detriment of their customers, independent journalists, small and independent media companies, consumers, and the American public square.”
This agreement and merger between Omnicon, IPG and our FTC will have a significant impact on the ability for “alternative media” to compete with the Mockingbird outlets. Rumble will be able to compete with the likes of YouTube. Independent news outlets will be able to compete with the “authoritative sources” like the New York Times, Washington Post, and CNN.
The FTC’s merger and agreement with Omnicon and IPG, two of the world’s six largest advertising firms, to cease all collusion to “steer advertisers” away from news outlets, media outlets, and social media outlets based on political or religious viewpoints is an absolutely massive… pic.twitter.com/tuG4gEOtrg
— CannCon (@CannConActual) June 26, 2025
The post Huge Victory! Two Major Advertising Firms Pledge to FTC to “Cease All Coordination Against Political and Religious Viewpoints” appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.