Last week, the House Judiciary Committee released a report on the little-known Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) and its pernicious promotion of censorship. GARM is a branch of the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA), a global association representing over 150 of the world's biggest brands, including Adidas, British Petroleum, Nike, Mastercard, McDonald's, Walmart, and Visa.

The WFA represents 90% of global advertising spending, accounting for almost $1 trillion per year. But instead of helping its clients reach the broadest market share possible, the WFA has appointed itself a supranational force for censorship.

Rob Rakowitz and the Mission to Supplant the First Amendment
Rob Rakowitz, the leader of the WFA, holds a particular disdain for free speech. He has derided the First Amendment and the "extreme global interpretation of the US Constitution," which he dismissed as "literal law from 230 years ago (made by white men exclusively)."

Rakowitz led GARM's effort to boycott advertising on Twitter in response to Elon Musk's acquisition of the company. GARM bragged that it was "taking on Elon Musk" and driving the company's advertising income "80% below revenue forecasts."

Rakowitz also championed the unsuccessful effort to have Spotify deplatform Joe Rogan after he expressed skepticism for young, healthy men taking the Covid vaccine. Rakowitz attempted to intimidate Spotify executives by demanding to hold a meeting with them and a team that he said represented "P&G [Proctor and Gamble], Unilever, Mars," and five advertising conglomerates. When a Spotify employee said he would meet with Rakowitz but not his censorsial consortium, Rakowitz forwarded the message to his partner, writing "this man needs a smack" for denying his demands.