FTC Order Preserves Competition in Digital Advertising Ecosystem as Part of Publicis's Acquisition of LiveRamp
WASHINGTON — The Federal Trade Commission announced on October 19 that it will allow Publicis Groupe to complete its acquisition of data collaboration platform LiveRamp under a proposed five-year consent order designed to preserve competition in the digital advertising ecosystem. Under the order, Publicis and LiveRamp must, for five years, provide non-discriminatory access and support on fair and reasonable terms to LiveRamp's standalone products and services, and may not deny, degrade, delay or impair customers' continued access. They must also establish firewalls to ensure Publicis does not access or use LiveRamp customer data and confidential business information, and appoint an independent auditor to audit compliance every six months for the first two years after closing and annually for the following three years. The order bars Publicis from retaliating against customers that raise compliance concerns with the Commission and provides for third-party mediation of unresolved contractual disputes. 'By requiring LiveRamp to continue operating as it does today as a neutral platform, this order will ensure that Publicis does not gain an unfair advantage over its competitors in the digital advertising marketplace,' said David Shaw, principal deputy director of the FTC's Bureau of Competition. The Commission voted 2-0 to issue the complaint and accept the consent agreement for public comment; the public will have 30 days to comment. Bloomberg Law reported the acquisition is valued at $2.2 billion and was announced in May.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
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