US EditionNewsGuard Sues FTC to Block Broad Probe into Media Ratings and Advertiser Boycotts
NewsGuard challenges the Federal Trade Commission's extensive probe, which includes demands for internal documents and subscriber data amid claims of antitrust violations and speech suppression.
- NewsGuard Technologies sued the Federal Trade Commission and its chairman, Andrew Ferguson, in U.S. federal court to block the agency's broad probe and information orders.
- Congressional investigators linked NewsGuard's services to 'coordinated actions' to demonize media, prompting the FTC's demands for records, after the agency barred use of such a service as a merger condition, which NewsGuard says already cost it business.
- Founded in 2018 by Steven Brill and Gordon Crovitz, NewsGuard's revenue mainly comes from companies advising advertisers and artificial intelligence firms, and it charges a $4.95 monthly subscription.
- The FTC accuses NewsGuard of trying to suppress conservative speech, which the company denies, while critics including Newsmax say the ratings target conservative outlets, risking revenue for pro‑president news outlets.
- The case fits a broader pattern of regulator‑media clashes since January 2025, joining journalism organizations facing scrutiny amid the Trump administration’s enforcement priorities, FTC leadership said.
31 Articles
31 Articles
A media-rating company says a Trump agency is threatening its liveliho
As media organizations go, NewsGuard cuts a low public profile as it follows its mission of issuing credibility ratings about news outlets. The Trump administration knows about it, though, and the company has joined a lengthening list of journalism organizations to face the White House’s wrath. A dispute between President Donald Trump’s regulators and the news monitoring service has spilled into court, with NewsGuard Technologies suing the Feder…
A media-rating company says a Trump agency is threatening its livelihood - The Morning Sun
As media organizations go, NewsGuard cuts a low public profile as it follows its mission of issuing credibility ratings about news outlets. The Trump administration knows about it, though, and the company has joined a lengthening list of journalism organizations to face the White House's wrath. A dispute between President Donald Trump's regulators and the news monitoring service has spilled into court, with NewsGuard Technologies suing the Feder…
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