On Wednesday, the House Judiciary Committee released a report detailing a concerted effort by major corporations to silence conservative media outlets and personalities. The report, “GARM’S Harm: How the World’s Biggest Brands Seek to Control Online Speech,” reveals how the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) coordinated actions to deprive conservative platforms of advertising revenue, potentially violating antitrust laws.
Led by Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH), the committee’s investigation found that GARM, an initiative of the World Federation of Advertisers, played a central role in influencing content moderation and advertising decisions. GARM’s actions extended beyond ensuring “brand safety,” veering into content control that disproportionately affected conservative viewpoints.
The report includes internal communications showing GARM’s bias against conservative outlets like The Daily Wire and Breitbart. These documents revealed how GARM monitored these outlets, looking for justifications to place them on exclusion lists, thus denying them advertising revenue. GARM’s leader, Rob Rakowitz, provided inaccurate information during interviews, further implicating the organization in coordinated censorship efforts.
Additionally, the report details GARM’s threats against Spotify over Joe Rogan’s COVID-19 vaccine comments and its organization of an advertising boycott against Twitter following Elon Musk’s acquisition. These actions highlight a broader strategy to suppress conservative voices across various media platforms.
The committee’s findings have raised significant concerns about the influence of major corporations on free speech and the need for regulatory measures to prevent such anticompetitive behavior. The report calls for increased transparency and fairness in advertising practices to protect the diversity of viewpoints available to the public.
