Elon Musk Scores Big Win for 1st Amendment, Scares Shadowy ‘Global Alliance for Responsible Media’ Into Shutting Down
The article discusses recent developments regarding free speech and advertising policies following the actions of Elon Musk’s company X (formerly Twitter), the video platform Rumble, and the House Judiciary Committee.
The advertising group, World Federation of Advertisers (WFA), announced that it would discontinue its Global Alliance for Responsible Media initiative (GARM) due to an antitrust lawsuit filed against them by Musk, Rumble, and others. WFA’s CEO, Stephan Loerke, stated the decision was difficult but necessary given their limited resources. However, WFA intends to contest the lawsuit in court, asserting compliance with competition regulations.
Elon Musk responded to Rumble’s lawsuit participation by encouraging others who have faced boycotts to file their own lawsuits. Rumble claimed the GARM initiative constituted a conspiracy to boycott their services and those of others, alleging that the advertising agencies collaborated to restrict ad revenue from certain platforms, which they deemed illegal.
X’s CEO, Linda Yaccarino, highlighted the group’s systematic actions against X as unjust, emphasizing that a small consortium should not control what gets monetized online. Moreover, conservative figures, like Ben Shapiro, praised the end of the GARM initiative as a victory for free speech.
this situation reflects ongoing tensions between social media platforms and advertising accountability, positioning the outcome as critically significant for the preservation of diverse viewpoints in media.
Score a win for free speech thanks to the efforts of Elon Musk’s X, Rumble and the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee among others.
Business Insider reported Thursday that the advertising trade group The World Federation of Advertisers told its member that it would be discontinuing its Global Alliance for Responsible Media initiative after X, Rumble and others filed an antitrust lawsuit against the company.
“Stephan Loerke, the CEO of the WFA, wrote in an to members, seen by Business Insider, that the decision was ‘not made lightly’ but that GARM is a not-for-profit organization with limited resources,” the news outlet said.
Nonetheless, Loerke further stated that her organization intends to challenge the allegations in the suit in court and is confident that the outcome of the case “will demonstrate our full adherence to competition rules in all our activities.”
On Tuesday, Musk posted to X in response to video streaming platform Rumble joining the suit: “Everyone who has been boycotted should file a lawsuit in every country they’ve been boycotted.”
Everyone who has been boycotted should file a lawsuit in every country they’ve been boycotted https://t.co/TG2nE5LZAk
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 6, 2024
Rumble explained why it had made the move saying it “has joined @X to sue a cartel of advertisers and ad agencies who conspired to block ad revenue from going to certain platforms and content creators. GARM was a conspiracy to perpetrate an advertiser boycott of Rumble and others, and that’s illegal.”
BREAKING: Rumble CEO explains how groups like GARM & World Federation of Advertisers created a monopoly over all the major ad budgets.
Rumble has joined 𝕏 in suing these groups who conspired to block ad revenue from going to certain platforms and content creators. pic.twitter.com/HEHeBkRymi
— DogeDesigner (@cb_doge) August 7, 2024
Rumble is a video platform that provides an alternative to the liberal YouTube, which has shown itself more than willing to remove videos or suspend accounts that do not comply with its “guidelines,” which politically seem to be applied most often against conservative views.
X CEO Linda Yaccarino offered why her company decided to sue GARM and the WFA.
“I was shocked by the evidence uncovered by the House Judiciary Committee that a group of companies organized a systematic illegal boycott against X,” she said. “It is just wrong and that is why we are taking action.”
“The evidence and facts are on our side,” Yaccarino continued. “They conspired to boycott X, which threatens our ability to thrive in the future.”
“That puts your global town hall square, the one place you can express yourself freely and openly, at long term risk,” the CEO added.
Yaccarino concluded, “No small group of people should be able to monopolize what gets monetized.”
𝕏 CEO Linda Yaccarino reveals how a very small group of companies are controlling speech worldwide – Today 𝕏 has filed an antitrust lawsuit against GARM and the WFA.
I stand with 𝕏 pic.twitter.com/CrD4Ajkex4
— ALEX (@ajtourville) August 6, 2024
The Daily Wire’s Ben Shapiro, who had testified before the House Judiciary Committee last month, celebrated the news of GARM’s discontinuance with a post on X.
Important win for free speech principles. Well done, @elonmusk, @JudiciaryGOP, @rumblevideo and all others who have pushed against the censorship regime of GARM. Here was my Congressional testimony on the issue a few weeks ago:https://t.co/NhRy8nm6qu
When we fight, we win. https://t.co/NMtcd8tgFU
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) August 8, 2024
“Important win for free speech principles,” he wrote. “Well done, [Elon Musk], [House Judiciary], [Rumble] and all others who have pushed against the censorship regime of GARM.”
In his testimony before Congress, Shapiro said, “The First Amendment was not designed to enable workarounds by elected officials. It was directed at Congress. At you. You abdicate your fundamental duty when you exert pressure on private companies to censor speech.”
GARM was targeting shows and outlets like The Daily Wire, @joerogan, @FoxNews, @BreitbartNews, @X, and more. After @JudiciaryGOP, @Jim_Jordan, @benshapiro, and @elonmusk exposed their corruption, they announced today that are disbanding.
When we fight, we win. pic.twitter.com/qDsXFVTJpr
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) August 8, 2024
“And some in this room have been doing just that for years. We in the non-legacy media have been feeling the effects. In the name of the Constitution – and yes, in the name of democracy – it must stop,” the well-spoken Shapiro added.
#BREAKING: The “Global Alliance for Responsible Media” is discontinuing.
Big win for the First Amendment.
Big win for oversight.
— House Judiciary GOP 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@JudiciaryGOP) August 8, 2024
The Western Journal has certainly felt the effect of what Shapiro described.
For now, score a big victory for the First Amendment and non-establishment views.
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