X filed an antitrust lawsuit against a group of advertisers
Richard Bord/WireImage/Getty Images
Musk’s X, formerly Twitter, filed an antitrust lawsuit in a Texas court against the World Federation of Advertisers for its Global Alliance for Responsible Media, a cross-industry initiative to prevent brands from supporting harmful content. It includes over 100 members, including big-name advertisers, agency groups, and platforms.
X is accusing the group of advertisers of conspiring to “collectively withhold billions of dollars in advertising revenue” from the social-media platform. The group has also been accused by Republican Party members of demonetizing conservative voices and platforms.
Two days after X’s suit was filed, WFA told its members it was “discontinuing” GARM activities. WFA CEO Stephan Loerke wrote in an email to members that the decision was “not made lightly” but that GARM was a not-for-profit organization with limited resources, Business Insider’s Lara O’Reilly first reported.
Loerke said in the letter that WFA and GARM intended to contest X’s allegations in court and were confident the result of the case would demonstrate its “full adherence to competition rules in all our activities.”
X, WFA, and the other defendants, including Unilever, Mars, CVS, and Ørsted, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.