Major companies linked to a shadowy ad group are being demanded to provide answers by Chair Jordan.
GOP lawmakers question the impartiality of the Global Alliance for Responsible Media.
A powerful committee in Congress has sent letters to numerous major corporations in the US, requesting information about their role in an advertising alliance that Republicans claim may be attempting to suppress conservative voices in media and news.
The House Judiciary Committee, led by Republicans, is examining the effectiveness and enforcement of U.S. antitrust laws through investigations into Adidas and other companies, totaling over 40, in response to allegations of collusion.
"The Committee has discovered that collusion is taking place among GARM members, including your company, through their oversight. Specifically, the Committee has found evidence of coordinated action by GARM and its members, including boycotts of certain social media platforms, podcasts, and news outlets."
GARM was involved with a number of companies, including Adidas, American Express, Bayer, BP, Carhartt, Chanel, CVS, and General Motors, and letters were sent to these companies requesting them to preserve any related documents.
The World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) established GARM in 2019 as a cross-industry initiative to tackle the issue of illegal or harmful content on digital media platforms and its monetization through advertising.
The website adds that GARM is "apolitical" and "voluntary."
The GARM group has strayed from its original purpose and has used its significant market influence to discredit opposing viewpoints, according to Republicans' correspondence to major corporations.
GARM and its members were targeted by coordinated action from large corporations, advertising agencies, and industry associations, as outlined in an extensive report released by the committee.
GARM, an organization that heavily relies on speech and persuasion in advertising, appears to have anti-democratic views regarding fundamental American freedoms. In a discussion about freedom of speech, GARM's leader and co-founder, Rob Rakowitz, expressed frustration with an "extreme global interpretation of the US Constitution" and complained about using "principles for governance" as literal law from 230 years ago, made exclusively by white men. With this perspective, GARM promoted "uncommon collaboration" to prioritize group interests over individual commercial interests.
GARM is reported to have aided in the suppression of advertising for Elon Musk, Joe Rogan, Spotify, political candidates, and news outlets, including Planet Chronicle, The Daily Wire, and Breitbart News.
GARM has been accused by Musk of being an "advertising boycott racket" and he has suggested taking legal action against it.
GARM did not respond to Planet Chronicle Digital's request for comment.
The World Federation of Advertisers spokesperson dismissed the Republican accusations as baseless in a statement to the New York Post.
The statement clarified that GARM does not participate in the operational procedures related to monetization eligibility, content ratings, platform evaluations, or media investment decisions.
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