The report argued that GARM’s influence gave advertisers the confidence to withdraw their campaigns from the platform without risking a competitive disadvantage.
Brands Band Together
Musk, who has been vocal about his dissatisfaction with GARM, took to X to express his frustrations. “We tried being nice for 2 years and got nothing but empty words,” he wrote. “Now, it is war.”
X CEO Linda Yaccarino echoed Musk’s sentiment, stating, “No small group should be able to monopolize what gets monetized.”
She described GARM’s closure as “an important acknowledgment and a necessary step in the right direction,” suggesting that it could lead to broader reforms across the advertising ecosystem.
The WFA, which represents over 90% of global marketing and communications spending, has faced accusations of colluding with GARM to monopolize advertising revenue and collectively withhold billions of dollars from X.
X’s lawsuit alleges that this collusion had a devastating impact on its business, even after the platform adopted brand safety standards in line with its competitors.
