News Corp CEO criticizes GARM's media boycott

In a recent earnings call, News Corp CEO Mark Thomson expressed strong criticism of the now-defunct Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM), which has faced allegations of corporate collusion aimed at suppressing certain political messages. Thomson indicated that News Corp is exploring legal options against GARM, emphasizing the "blatant political bias" of advertising industry bodies that have reportedly harmed advertisers by restricting access to significant audiences. Thomson commended the U.S. House Judiciary Committee for investigating GARM, describing the organization as a "misnomer" and highlighting the real damage it has caused. He asserted that there should be commercial repercussions for GARM's actions, which he claims have been detrimental to the advertising landscape. GARM, a nonprofit associated with the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA), is reportedly ceasing operations following an antitrust lawsuit filed by Elon Musk, the owner of X. WFA CEO Stephan Loerke communicated to members that the decision to discontinue GARM's activities was not made lightly, citing the nonprofit's limited resources. Despite this, Loerke affirmed that WFA and GARM intend to contest the lawsuit, asserting their compliance with competition regulations. The lawsuit from X follows a House Judiciary Committee investigation that uncovered evidence of coordinated boycotts by GARM and its members against certain platforms and content creators, including Musk, Joe Rogan, and various news outlets. The Committee's findings suggest that GARM's actions were aimed at demonetizing and limiting consumer choices in the media landscape.