A contentious advertising coalition has attracted scrutiny from one of Congress’s most influential House committees, with critics arguing it promotes corporate collusion aimed at silencing specific political viewpoints.
The Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) presents itself as a “cross-industry initiative” initiated by the World Federation of Advertisers that, as a spokesperson explained, “was founded in 2019 to assist the advertising sector in confronting the issues of illegal or harmful content on digital media platforms and its monetization via advertising.”
“It was established following the Christchurch Mosque shootings, during which the assailant livestreamed the attacks on Facebook,” the spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “This was preceded by several high-profile incidents where brand advertisements were found next to illegal or harmful content, including child pornography and materials supporting terrorism. This included the 2017 exposé in the London Times titled ‘Big brands fund terror through online adverts.’”
The organization asserts it is “apolitical” and “voluntary,” claiming to provide its members with “resources and best practice information to understand where their advertising investments are placed and to avoid adjacency to illegal or harmful content that might tarnish their brands’ reputations.”
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GARM, The Global Alliance for Responsible Media, has drawn the ire of the House Judiciary Committee (Fox News)
“GARM provides voluntary frameworks to assist brands in selecting the content adjacent to their ads,” the GARM website states.
Yet, critics of GARM hold a contrasting perspective, alleging that it has collaborated with numerous prominent U.S. companies to instigate boycotts and suppress political discourse, particularly targeting conservative viewpoints.
In articulating his thoughts on free speech, GARM’s leader and co-founder, Rob Rakowitz, has voiced his discontent with what he describes as an “extreme global interpretation of the US Constitution,” expressing concerns about the application of “‘principles for governance’ in a literal sense from 230 years ago (formulated exclusively by white men).” Through this lens, GARM promoted what it termed “uncommon collaboration” to “rise above individual commercial interest.”
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OCTOBER 13: Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) speaks to reporters as House Republicans hold a caucus meeting at the Longworth House Office Building on October 13, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
The House Judiciary Committee released a detailed report summarizing its belief that “large corporations, advertising agencies, and industry associations participated in boycotts and other coordinated actions to demonetize platforms, podcasts, news outlets, and other content deemed unfavorable by GARM and its members.”
GARM is accused of collaborating with significant companies to impose advertising restrictions on Elon Musk, Joe Rogan, Spotify, political candidates, and various media outlets, including Fox News, The Daily Wire, and Breitbart News.
“The Committee’s oversight findings indicate that GARM has strayed significantly from its original purpose, leveraging its substantial market power to demonetize voices and perspectives that it disagrees with — even intervening in cases lacking a so-called ‘brand safety’ issue,” Committee Chairman Jim Jordan stated in a letter to over 40 companies last week.
“Through its oversight, the Committee has uncovered collusive activities occurring within the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM), of which your company is a member. Specifically, the Committee has found evidence of coordinated actions by GARM and its member companies, including boycotting disfavored social media platforms, podcasts, and news outlets.”
“The Committee on the Judiciary is examining the adequacy and enforcement of U.S. antitrust laws,” the letter added.
In addition to Adidas, the letter was sent to numerous other companies, including American Express, Bayer, BP, Carhartt, Chanel, CVS, and General Motors, requesting that they preserve documents related to their participation in GARM.
Musk has publicly criticized GARM and suggested taking legal action against the organization, labeling it an “advertising boycott racket.”
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Activist Rob Rakowitz is the head of Global Alliance for Responsible Media. (Getty Images/BeetTV/Youtube)
Will Gilroy, a spokesperson for WFA, asserted in a statement to Fox News Digital that the “allegations by the US House Judiciary Committee regarding GARM’s anti-competitive behavior are baseless.”
“GARM membership is entirely voluntary. Its frameworks and tools are designed to be broad, allowing individual companies to evaluate, adopt, modify, or reject them based on their own discretion,” Gilroy explained. “Ultimately, the choice of where and when to advertise rests with the individual advertiser, in consultation with their agency partners when relevant.”
“Recent discussions with industry leaders indicate that GARM’s efforts remain significant and increasingly pertinent as the digital media landscape evolves,” he added. “Consequently, GARM will continue to fulfill its promise to support its members in fostering responsible marketing practices.”
