FTC Extends Ad Boycott Probe a Judge Said Violates Free Speech

The US Federal Trade Commission is continuing to investigate alleged ad boycotts against conservative websites as part of a probe that a federal court judge ruled last year was retaliation against an advocacy group for exercising its constitutional right to free speech.

NewsGuard Technologies Inc., which provides ratings software used by consumers and advertisers to make decisions about the accuracy and reliability of websites, said the FTC is continuing to seek information about its activities as part of the probe. NewsGuard filed a petition on Jan. 16 to overturn an agency information request seeking the identities of all its customers, saying the demand violates its First Amendment rights.