The FTC has accepted a revised remaining consent order tied to Omnicom’s $13.5 billion acquisition of Interpublic Group (IPG), explicitly stopping the corporate from denying advert {dollars} to publishers primarily based on political or ideological viewpoints—until a shopper expressly directs it.
In June, the FTC conditionally cleared the deal with a proposed consent decree barring politically motivated advert boycotts. That order is now remaining, with added oversight and a clarification of scope.
After a compulsory public remark interval, the FTC revised the order to impose a compliance monitor and specify that the scope of the restrictions applies globally. The fee voted 2-0-1 to approve the order, with Commissioner Mark R. Meador recused.
The FTC stated promoting holding corporations, together with by means of business commerce teams, have at occasions coordinated boycotts of sure media websites, reducing off their advert income and weakening their capacity to supply content material.
The order bars Omnicom from retaining exclusion lists or ideology-based blocklists until a specific advertiser asks for one—placing the choice again within the fingers of its purchasers.
The merger additionally cleared a key U.Okay. evaluate final month, when the Competitors and Markets Authority declined to escalate the deal to a phase-two probe. The European Union stays among the many regulators nonetheless reviewing the transaction.
Omnicom and IPG had already been beneath scrutiny by the FTC, which issued a second data request earlier within the yr, signaling deeper antitrust evaluate.
IPG’s Q2 income fell yr over yr, however its margin hit a document excessive because it minimize prices in anticipation of the merger. Omnicom continues to count on the deal to shut within the second half of 2025.
The choice reveals regulators are paying nearer consideration to how promoting holding corporations use their market energy in ways in which may affect the circulation of promoting {dollars} on-line.
