GARM Suspends Activities Following Musk’s Antitrust Lawsuit Targeting Ad Boycott The Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) has suspended its activities following an antitrust lawsuit filed by Elon Musk’s social media platform, X. The lawsuit, filed in Texas federal court earlier this week, accuses GARM and its parent company, the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA), of coordinating an illegal ad boycott against X, aimed at silencing conservative voices.
The lawsuit also names major corporations such as CVS Health, Mars, Orsted, and Unilever, alleging that these companies, which control a vast majority of global advertising, leveraged their influence to stifle dissenting viewpoints on X. According to the lawsuit, these companies hold nearly 90% of the global advertising market, giving them unparalleled power over ad placement and revenue.
This legal action follows a damning GOP congressional report that highlighted GARM’s monopolistic control over the advertising industry. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) led the charge against GARM, accusing the organization of using its market power to suppress conservative media by denying them access to essential advertising revenue. Jordan described GARM’s actions as part of a broader effort to control public discourse by choking off financial resources to right-wing voices.
X CEO Linda Yaccarino responded to the lawsuit, emphasizing that the case is about more than just financial compensation. “When illegal boycotts are used to suppress certain viewpoints, the marketplace of ideas is fundamentally undermined,” Yaccarino said. She stressed that the lawsuit seeks to address systemic issues in the advertising industry that allow such practices to persist.
In a surprising move, the WFA announced on Thursday that it would temporarily suspend GARM’s activities. However, the organization indicated that it would continue to defend itself against the lawsuit in court. The suspension is seen as a significant victory for Musk and X, but the legal battle is far from over.
