--- title: Andrew Ferguson url: https://propagandaarchive.org/quotes/andrew-ferguson/ description: 3 verified quotes from Andrew Ferguson, Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, with sources. section: FRAME --- ![Illustration: a redacted Cold War intelligence-dossier collage centred on a world map of influence operations, with the U.S. Capitol among the evidence.](https://propagandaarchive.org/static/generated/hero-home.jpg) [Quotes](https://propagandaarchive.org/quotes/) · United States # Andrew Ferguson ![Andrew Ferguson, official FTC portrait, 2024](https://propagandaarchive.org/regimes/images/trump-administration/andrew-ferguson.jpg) [Photo](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Andrew_N._Ferguson,_FTC_Commissioner_(cropped).jpg): Federal Trade Commission, Public domain (U.S. federal government work) Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission · United States On the regime page: [Trump administration](https://propagandaarchive.org/regimes/trump-administration/#andrew-ferguson) 3 quotes, oldest first. [Filter with other speakers](https://propagandaarchive.org/quotes/#speaker=andrew-ferguson). 1. > “Tech firms should not be bullying their users. This inquiry will help the FTC better understand how these firms may have violated the law by silencing and intimidating Americans for speaking their minds.” — February 20, 2025 · Statement · Washington, DC, Federal Trade Commission — Announcement of a public request for information on how technology platforms deny or degrade users' access based on their speech or affiliations; comments were open until 21 May 2025. The release describes platform censorship as 'not just un-American, it is potentially illegal'. — FTC press release, "Federal Trade Commission Launches Inquiry on Tech Censorship," 20 February 2025, quoting Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson [Source](https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2025/02/federal-trade-commission-launches-inquiry-tech-censorship) 2. > “Specifically, the proposed decision and order prohibits Omnicom and IPG from entering into or maintaining any agreement or practice that would steer advertising dollars away from publishers based on their political or ideological viewpoints. To be sure, coordinated action by advertising agencies against politically disfavored publishers is tantamount to an agreement not to compete on quality—but obtaining such a ruling in litigation could take years.” — June 23, 2025 · Statement · Washington, DC, Federal Trade Commission — Statement accompanying the Commission's proposed consent order allowing the Omnicom–Interpublic advertising merger on conditions. The statement ties the condition to concerns about coordinated advertiser boycotts of publishers. — Statement of Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson, In the Matter of Omnicom Group / The Interpublic Group of Cos., Matter No. 2510049, Federal Trade Commission, 23 June 2025, p. 4 [Source](https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/omnicom-ipg-ferguson-statement_0.pdf) 3. > “It is inconsistent with American values to deny law-abiding individuals the ability to run their legitimate businesses and feed their families because they attracted the ire of rogue American officials, overzealous activists, or, more worryingly, foreign governments seeking to control public discourse.” — March 26, 2026 · Letter · Federal Trade Commission, letters to the CEOs of PayPal, Stripe, Visa and Mastercard Verified (secondary source) — Warning letters citing the August 2025 executive order on debanking and saying that denying customers financial services over political or religious views may violate the FTC Act. — Letters from Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson to PayPal, Stripe, Visa and Mastercard, as quoted in FTC press release "FTC Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson Issues Warning Letters to CEOs of PayPal, Stripe, Visa and Mastercard About Debanking American Consumers," 26 March 2026 [Source](https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2026/03/ftc-chairman-andrew-n-ferguson-issues-warning-letters-ceos-paypal-stripe-visa-mastercard-about-debanking-american-consumers)