The Federal Trade Commission approved Omnicom Group Inc.’s approximately $13.5 billion acquisition of The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. (IPG) but with strict conditions designed to prevent anticompetitive coordination in the digital advertising market, a restriction that has not been made before.
Under this merger, Omnicom is poised to become the world’s largest media buying agency. The consent order was announced on June 23, 2025, and prohibits Omnicom from steering advertisers away from publishers based on political or ideological viewpoints unless explicitly directed by the advertiser. According to FTC Bureau of Competition Director, Daniel Guarnera, “[c]oordination among advertising agencies to suppress advertising spending on publications with disfavored political or ideological viewpoints threatens to distort not only competition between ad agencies, but also public discussion and debate.”
This new type of mandate for neutrality raises new legal and practical questions. The consent order marks a significant expansion of FTC oversight in the advertising sector, traditionally governed more by brand safety concerns than viewpoint neutrality. While the order affirms advertisers’ right to decide where their dollars go, it bars Omnicom from using ideological filters unless clearly and directly instructed by the client.
The order does not clearly define what qualifies as “ideological content,” opening the door to potentially inconsistent interpretations and enforcement. The order also requires that Omnicom must now document exclusion decisions and file annual reports, which could create competitive friction with global competitors like WPP and Publicis who operate outside U.S. jurisdiction.
Additionally, there are certain implications for brand safety and the broader industry. This ruling compels agencies to shift from blanket exclusion strategies to specific, client-led decisions on where ads appear. Arguably, this shift was already underway as advertisers increasingly favor customized inclusion lists and granular brand suitability frameworks. However, this new FTC mandate means that this may become mandatory for Omnicom, likely setting a precedent for the broader industry.
Looking forward, the FTC’s consent order is effective for ten years, and you can read more here. The FTC’s move may indicate a wider shift in policy intending to further scrutinize coordination in digital media buying, especially as concerns over misinformation, political polarization, and content moderation continue. Though currently narrowly targeted at one merger, the broader message is clear: ad placement decisions cannot be used to support ideological discrimination.
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