Case: NEWSGUARD TECHNOLOGIES v. FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION

1:26-cv-00353 | U.S. District Court for the District of District of Columbia

Filed Date: Feb. 6, 2026

Case Ongoing

Clearinghouse coding in progress

Case Summary

(This summary is temporary while we research the case.)

Plaintiff NewsGuard is a nonpartisan media organization that uses fully disclosed journalistic criteria to rate the reliability of online news sources. According to the complaint, the Federal Trade Commission demanded extensive internal documents and information from NewsGuard under the guise of antitrust and merger review, and pushed for actions that effectively limit how NewsGuard’s ratings and analysis are used in commerce and public discourse. In response, the plaintiffs brought this action under the First and Fourth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution and the Declaratory Judgment Act, 28 U.S.C. §§ 2201–2202.

Summary Authors

Jinan Abufarha (2/7/2026)

People

For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72241686/parties/newsguard-technologies-v-federal-trade-commission/

Judge(s)

Friedrich, Dabney Langhorne (District of Columbia)

Attorney for Plaintiff

Corn-Revere, Robert (District of Columbia)

Judge(s)

Friedrich, Dabney Langhorne (District of Columbia)

Attorney for Plaintiff

Corn-Revere, Robert (District of Columbia)

Attorney Contact Information via CourtListener

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Documents in the Clearinghouse

	Document
1 1:26-cv-00353	Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief News guard Technologies, Inc. v. Federal Trade Commission	Feb. 6, 2026	Feb. 6, 2026 Complaint

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Docket

See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72241686/newsguard-technologies-v-federal-trade-commission/

Last updated Feb. 7, 2026, 8:04 p.m.

ECF Number	Description	Date	Link Date / Link
1	COMPLAINT against All Plaintiffs with Jury Demand ( Filing fee $ 405 receipt number ADCDC-12228952) filed by NewsGuard. (Attachments: # 1 Civil Cover Sheet, # 2 Summons, # 3 Summons, # 4 Summons, # 5 Summons)(Corn-Revere, Robert) (Attachment 1 replaced on 2/6/2026) (zhcn). (Entered: 02/06/2026) 1 Civil Cover Sheet View on PACER 2 Summons View on PACER 3 Summons View on PACER 4 Summons View on PACER 5 Summons View on PACER	Feb. 6, 2026	Feb. 6, 2026 Clearinghouse
2	NOTICE of Appearance by Robert Corn-Revere on behalf of NewsGuard (Corn-Revere, Robert) (Entered: 02/06/2026)	Feb. 6, 2026	Feb. 6, 2026
3	LCvR 26.1 CERTIFICATE OF DISCLOSURE of Corporate Affiliations and Financial Interests by NewsGuard (Corn-Revere, Robert) (Entered: 02/06/2026)	Feb. 6, 2026	Feb. 6, 2026
4	SUMMONS (4) Issued Electronically as to FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION, ANDREW FERGUSON, U.S. Attorney and U.S. Attorney General (Attachments: # 1 Notice and Consent)(zhcn) (Entered: 02/06/2026)	Feb. 6, 2026	Feb. 6, 2026
5	LARGE ADDITIONAL ATTACHMENT(S) by NEWSGUARD TECHNOLOGIES 1 Complaint, filed by NEWSGUARD TECHNOLOGIES. (Corn-Revere, Robert) (Entered: 02/06/2026)	Feb. 6, 2026	Feb. 6, 2026
6	STANDARD ORDER for Civil Cases. See text for details. Signed by Judge Dabney L. Friedrich on February 6, 2026. (lcdlf1) (Entered: 02/06/2026)	Feb. 6, 2026	Feb. 6, 2026
	Case Assigned/Reassigned	Feb. 6, 2026	Feb. 6, 2026
	.Order AND ~Util - Set/Reset Deadlines	Feb. 6, 2026	Feb. 6, 2026
	Case Assigned to Judge Dabney L. Friedrich. (zhcn)	Feb. 6, 2026	Feb. 6, 2026
	MINUTE ORDER. The plaintiff's 1 Complaint requests that the Court (1) "[p]reliminarily enjoin the FTC, Chairman Ferguson, his officers, agents, servants, and employees from initiating any action to enforce the CID in violation of Plaintiff's constitutional rights"; and (2) "[p]reliminarily enjoin the FTC, Chairman Ferguson, his officers, agents, servants, and employees from initiating any action to enforce the Omnicom-IPG merger condition in violation of Plaintiff's constitutional rights." Compl. 50, Dkt. 1. The Court directs the plaintiff to Local Rule 65.1, which provides that "[a]n application for a preliminary injunction shall be made in a document separate from the complaint." LCvR 65.1(c).Accordingly, it is ORDERED that, to the extent the plaintiff seeks preliminary relief, the plaintiff shall file a motion for such relief on or before February 11, 2026. So Ordered by Judge Dabney L. Friedrich on February 6, 2026. (lcdlf1)	Feb. 6, 2026	Feb. 6, 2026

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Case Details

State / Territory:

District of Columbia

Case Type(s):

Speech and Religious Freedom

Key Dates

Filing Date: Feb. 6, 2026

Case Ongoing: Yes

Case Details

Other Dockets:

District of District of Columbia 1:26-cv-00353