Slate Daily Feed What Next: TBD | The FTC’s Merger Shakedown
Jun 29, 2025
Kate Conger, a technology reporter for the New York Times and co-author of 'Character Limit,' dives deep into the aftermath of Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter. She discusses how this ownership shift has altered advertising strategies and brand safety protocols. Conger highlights the FTC's unique approach to mergers under the current administration, exploring its implications for free speech and political biases. The conversation also touches on the complexities of navigating advertising in an evolving regulatory landscape that creates tension between brands and social media platforms.
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Advertisers Avoid Offensive Content
- Advertisers avoid placing ads next to offensive content and paused spending on Twitter following Elon Musk's content moderation rollbacks.
- This caution significantly hurt Twitter's ad revenue early in Musk's tenure.
FTC Bars Political Ad Boycotts
- The FTC approved a major ad agencies' merger with a condition barring political boycotts based on platform content.
- Agencies cannot recommend boycotting platforms for political reasons, but clients may still opt out themselves.
Advertising as Free Speech Battlefield
- FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson treats advertiser pullbacks as potential illegal boycotts correlated to free speech concerns.
- Social platforms blend free speech forums with ad revenues, creating a conflict when moderation affects ads.
