FTC, Eight States Settle with Dentsu, GroupM, Publicis Over Alleged 'Media Censorship' Deals

Three of the world's largest advertising holding companies—Dentsu US, GroupM (WPP), and Publicis—have settled a landmark lawsuit with the Federal Trade Commission and eight state attorneys general, agreeing to stop entering into contracts that restrict their work with certain clients. The settlement, announced on April 15, resolves allegations that the agencies participated in unlawful media censorship by accepting deals that required them to blacklist or suppress specific outlets, a practice Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton characterized as a 'woke' attempt to sabotage conservative media.

The case, brought by the FTC and the states of Texas, Florida, and Indiana, among others, centers on the agencies' alleged role in a coordinated effort to manipulate the digital advertising market. According to the plaintiffs, the agencies agreed to contractual terms that limited their ability to place ads for clients on disfavored media platforms, effectively using their market power to starve targeted outlets of revenue and reach. The settlement imposes a permanent prohibition on such restrictive agreements.

The resolution signals heightened regulatory and political scrutiny over the intersection of corporate power, advertising dollars, and free speech in the digital public square. While the agencies admitted no wrongdoing, the binding settlement creates a new compliance frontier for the entire ad-tech industry, potentially chilling similar arrangements between platforms and major media buyers. The case underscores how state attorneys general are increasingly leveraging antitrust and consumer protection laws to challenge perceived ideological bias in private market conduct.