Adweek Reports FTC’s Ad Boycott Probe Snares Ad-Tech Giant IAS

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s investigation into alleged advertiser boycotts of conservative news has expanded to include ad-verification firm Integral Ad Science, a development revealed in legal filings from another target, the Global Disinformation Index. The news, which widens the scope of the regulatory battle over brand safety practices, was first reported by Adweek.

• The FTC's playbook: Launched in June 2025, the agency's action questions whether brand safety and media rating firms colluded to penalize right-leaning publishers. The commission is using its authority to issue Civil Investigative Demands (CIDs), forcing firms to turn over years of internal records.

• The firms punch back: The targeted companies are fighting back with legal action, arguing the inquiry is political retaliation that violates their First Amendment rights. GDI, Media Matters, and NewsGuard have all filed lawsuits against the FTC, with a federal court already granting Media Matters a preliminary injunction that temporarily halts the probe into its operations.

The expanding investigation intensifies the conflict between the ad industry's brand safety efforts and the government's antitrust concerns, creating a high-stakes showdown over who polices online speech and commerce.