FTC could bar Omnicom, Interpublic from boycotting sites over political views as merger condition: report

The Federal Trade Commission could reportedly bar advertising giants Omnicom and Interpublic from suppressing ads to websites over their political views as a condition for approving their pending merger.The FTC, led by President Trump-nominated chairman Andrew Ferguson, is considering imposing the consent decree as it engages in a broader effort to investigate and stop collusive ad boycotts that unfairly target conservative media.New York City-based Omnicom was among the companies called out by House Judiciary Committee chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) over its involvement with the Global Alliance for Responsible Media, a left-leaning advertising cartel that allegedly sought to defund news outlets and platforms, including The Post.Jordan launched an investigation into Omnicom after the merger was first announced last December.The FTC is currently reviewing a $13.25 billion all-stock deal between the two ad giants.If approved, the combined entitles would form the largest ad agency in the world, with around $25 billion in annual revenue.The terms of the merger deal are still under review and have yet to be finalized, Reuters reported on Thursday, citing a source familiar with the matter.Representatives for the FTC, Omnicom and Interpublic did not immediately return The Post’s request for comment.The FTC’s move points “to a much more highly politicized environment for agencies than we have ever seen before, at least in the United States,” analyst Brian Wieser wrote in a midyear industry update on Tuesday that was cited by the New York Times, which first reported on the proposed consent decree.Fergson has said that any boycotts organized by advertisers can be illegal because they involve coordinated refusals to do business, which may restrict competition.Earlier this week, the FTC requested documents from top ad agencies, including Omnicon, Interpublic, WPP, Dentsu, Havas and Publicis, as part of a broad review into whether the firms had violated antitrust law by par...