FTC settles ad collusion claims against WPP, Dentsu, Publicis over misinformation policies

The Federal Trade Commission said three of the world’s biggest ad agencies crossed from brand safety into collusion, using misinformation policies to cut revenue to publishers on the political right. WPP, Dentsu and Publicis agreed to settle claims that they coordinated on common standards, while denying any admission of wrongdoing.

The commission said the conduct began in 2018 and ran through trade groups, including the World Federation of Advertisers’ Global Alliance for Responsible Media and the American Association of Advertising Agencies’ Advertiser Protection Bureau. According to the FTC, the agencies used those channels to build a common “Brand Safety Floor” and other shared standards that were then used to justify demonetizing sites labeled as misinformation risks, including sites flagged by NewsGuard and the Global Disinformation Index.

The complaint filed in federal court in Fort Worth, Texas, cited concerns over ad placements on Elon Musk’s X and the conservative website Breitbart. FTC Chair Andrew N. Ferguson said the ad agencies’ “brand-safety conspiracy” turned competition in the market for ad-buying services on its head and, in his words, “not only damaged our marketplace” but also “distorted the marketplace of ideas.”

The settlements, announced April 15, 2026, require Dentsu, Publicis and GroupM, WPP’s media-buying arm, to stop efforts to set common brand-safety standards or use exclusion lists when placing ads. The companies did not admit or deny wrongdoing. Dentsu said it was committed to operating transparently, with integrity and in compliance with the law. WPP said it was committed to giving clients unbiased advice on where to place ads. Publicis did not immediately comment.

Eight Republican-led states joined the settlements: Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Montana, Nebraska, Texas, Utah and West Virginia. The state participation underscores how the dispute has moved beyond antitrust theory into a broader fight over who gets cut off from advertising dollars, and on what grounds.

The case also lands as regulators take a harder look at digital ad markets more broadly. In June 2025, the FTC approved Omnicom’s $13.5 billion purchase of Interpublic only after imposing conditions meant to bar the combined company from conspiring to steer ad dollars toward or away from platforms because of political content. That merger closed in November 2025, signaling that Washington’s scrutiny of ad-tech and brand-safety practices is now reshaping the market structure itself.