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Edited by: Fern Sidman
FTC Commissioner Andrew Ferguson is spearheading efforts to dismantle a “censorship cartel” involving Big Tech companies and major advertising agencies. According to a recent report on the Newsmax website, Ferguson has called for an investigation into practices that target conservative media through systematic censorship and demonetization.
Ferguson, along with fellow Republican FTC Commissioner Melissa Holyoak, has demanded a probe into online platforms and advertising agencies that limit free speech under the guise of combating misinformation. As reported by Newsmax, the commissioners are advocating for a revival of former President Donald Trump’s 2020 Executive Order 13925, which sought to curb online censorship and promote free expression.
In his statement, Ferguson accused Big Tech and ad agencies of orchestrating illegal boycotts to suppress conservative voices. Citing the Sherman Antitrust Act, Ferguson highlighted how advertising agencies allegedly use “misinformation monitors” such as NewsGuard, GDI, and GARM to systematically block advertising dollars from flowing to right-leaning media outlets.
“Shortly after Twitter (now X) was purchased by a free speech champion, major advertisers raced for the door and refused to advertise on X,” Ferguson wrote, as was reported by Newsmax. He characterized these actions as “concerted refusals to deal” — a practice that violates antitrust laws.
NewsGuard, a left-leaning media monitor, was singled out in Ferguson’s statement. He accused the organization of creating a facade of nonpartisanship while its ratings disproportionately harm conservative outlets. Advertising agencies, he argued, rely on these ratings to choke off critical advertising revenues, effectively silencing dissenting voices online.
The Newsmax report emphasized Ferguson’s assertion that advertising agencies have effectively “outsourced censorship” to groups such as NewsGuard. By using these organizations’ ratings as justification, ad agencies purportedly block conservative media from accessing crucial advertising funds. Ferguson described NewsGuard’s operations as a sophisticated mechanism to stifle competition under the pretext of ensuring “brand safety.”
Studies cited by Newsmax revealed that NewsGuard consistently rated conservative media outlets lower than their left-leaning counterparts. While Ferguson acknowledged that NewsGuard has the right to rate websites as it sees fit, he argued that the facilitation of group boycotts by third parties violates federal antitrust laws.
Ferguson also drew attention to a pattern of coordinated suppression across Big Tech platforms. After President Trump left office in 2021, social media platforms, in collaboration with media monitors, banned dissenting opinions on topics such as COVID-19 vaccine safety, the 2020 election results, and the Hunter Biden laptop story. As the report on Newsmax indicated, Trump himself was banned from major social media platforms during this period, thus highlighting the scale of what Ferguson called “orchestrated censorship.”
Ferguson’s call to action represents a significant push to address perceived biases in online content moderation and advertising. He urged the FTC to investigate and potentially prosecute illegal boycotts orchestrated by advertising agencies in collaboration with groups such as NewsGuard. As reported by Newsmax, Ferguson framed this effort as essential to safeguarding free speech and preserving a competitive media landscape.
“Antitrust laws do not permit third parties to facilitate group boycotts among competitors,” Ferguson asserted, warning that the current practices threaten the lifeblood of conservative media outlets.
As Newsmax reported, Newsguard was founded by Steven Brill, a businessman and Democratic Party activist, in the aftermath of the 2016 presidential election. Its origins, funding, and political ties have made it a lightning rod for criticism, especially from conservative voices.
According to the information provided in the Newsmax report, Steven Brill established NewsGuard in response to widespread claims from the left that Russian disinformation helped Donald Trump win the presidency over Hillary Clinton. Brill, whose family have been prolific donors to Democratic causes for decades, has a long history of political advocacy. From defending President Bill Clinton during the Monica Lewinsky scandal to championing Obamacare and later criticizing Trump, Brill’s public positions have often aligned with Democratic priorities.
NewsGuard positions itself as a neutral watchdog that rates media outlets for reliability and accuracy, but the Newsmax report highlighted significant concerns about its objectivity. The organization, under Brill’s leadership, actively worked to discredit stories such as the Hunter Biden laptop scandal, which Brill publicly dismissed as a “hoax” despite federal authorities later confirming its authenticity.
In recent months, Brill has taken a step back from NewsGuard’s public-facing operations, according to the information contained in the Newsmax report. His co-founder, Gordon Crovitz, has assumed the role of handling media inquiries. Crovitz, a former publisher of The Wall Street Journal, presents himself as a Republican but is viewed by critics as a figurehead for a left-leaning organization.
Crovitz’s wife, Amy Worden, is a senior figure at Human Rights Watch, a group that has recently taken controversial positions, including endorsing the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This connection, Newsmax noted, speaks volumes about the political leanings of NewsGuard’s leadership.
Newsmax has documented NewsGuard’s pivotal role in what critics call the “censorship-industrial complex.” The organization’s ratings are used by major advertising agencies, including Omnicom, Interpublic, Publicis, Magnite, PubMatic, TripleLift, Comscore, Zefr, and Giphy, to influence ad placement decisions. These ratings have been accused of disproportionately targeting conservative outlets, effectively choking off their advertising revenue streams.
The organization’s influence extends into Big Tech. Brendan Carr, Trump’s nominee to chair the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), recently demanded that companies such as Apple and Google disclose documents detailing their relationships with NewsGuard and other media monitors. The Newsmax report indicated that Carr’s inquiry seeks to uncover how platforms may be collaborating with NewsGuard to restrict conservative content.
One of NewsGuard’s most high-profile controversies involves its role in shaping public perception of the Hunter Biden laptop story. The report on Newsmax explained that Brill dismissed the story as a “hoax” at a critical time, influencing platforms and advertisers to downplay or suppress it. Federal investigations later confirmed the laptop’s authenticity, casting doubt on NewsGuard’s claim of impartiality.
This incident has fueled broader criticism that NewsGuard operates as a gatekeeper for narratives that align with left-leaning political interests. Its ratings, Newsmax asserts, often penalize conservative outlets while granting more favorable scores to their liberal counterparts.
The debate over NewsGuard calls attention to larger questions about the role of private organizations in shaping public discourse. While NewsGuard positions itself as a neutral arbiter of truth, Newsmax has consistently raised concerns about its political biases and outsized influence. With high-profile investigations on the horizon, the organization’s practices may soon face their most significant challenge yet.
