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FTC Targets Media Watchdog Over Alleged Collusion Against Musk’s X

By  |  May 22, 2025

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has launched an inquiry into Media Matters for America, seeking records tied to its potential coordination with other media watchdog groups involved in advertiser boycotts targeting X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, according to documents reviewed by Reuters.

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    The civil investigative demand, as seen by Reuters, requests detailed communications from Media Matters — a liberal nonprofit based in Washington, D.C. — related to its interactions with organizations that monitor misinformation and hate speech online. Among the named entities is the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM), a project affiliated with the World Federation of Advertisers. Both Media Matters and GARM are currently defendants in lawsuits brought by X, which accuses them of contributing to organized efforts that led advertisers to withdraw from the platform.

    According to Reuters, this probe signifies an escalation in the federal government’s attention to the dynamics between advocacy groups and corporate advertising strategies in the digital sphere, particularly following Elon Musk’s 2022 acquisition of X. The FTC is requesting all documents that Media Matters has either received or produced in the course of its legal dispute with X concerning advertising boycotts.

    Related: Meta Moves to Dismiss FTC Antitrust Case Amid Ongoing Trial

    While the issuance of an investigative demand does not imply guilt, nor guarantee enforcement action, it signals that regulators are taking seriously the allegations of potentially anti-competitive conduct.

    FTC Commissioner Andrew Ferguson, appointed under former President Donald Trump, had previously signaled interest in scrutinizing such activity. In a December statement unrelated to the current case, Ferguson noted, “We must prosecute any unlawful collusion between online platforms, and confront advertiser boycotts which threaten competition among those platforms,” Reuters reported.

    Last year, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, chaired by Republican Representative Jim Jordan, accused GARM of facilitating an illegal boycott. That initiative was disbanded in August, per Reuters.

    The FTC declined to comment on the matter when reached by Reuters. Media Matters and the World Federation of Advertisers also did not respond to requests for comment.

    Despite ongoing legal and regulatory challenges, advertising on X is projected to rebound in 2025 for the first time since Musk’s takeover, according to market analysis by eMarketer. However, ad revenue still remains below pre-acquisition levels.

    Source: Reuters