X, Owned by Elon Musk, Brings Antitrust Suit Accusing Advertisers of a Boycott

New York Times ^ | 8/6/2024 | Kate Conger

[Miami Rebel]

X on Tuesday filed a lawsuit against the Global Alliance for Responsible Media, a coalition of major advertisers, claiming that it had violated antitrust laws by coordinating with brands to dissuade them from spending money on the social media platform.

The suit, filed in federal court in Texas, claims that the coalition, known as GARM, “conspired” with leading brands, including CVS, Unilever and the Danish energy company Ørsted to “collectively withhold billions of dollars in advertising revenue” that were owed to X, then known as Twitter, in the wake of Elon Musk’s takeover of the social media company in 2022.

“The illegal behavior of these organizations and their executives cost X billions of dollars,” wrote Linda Yaccarino, X’s chief executive, in an open letter to advertisers. “People are hurt when the marketplace of ideas is undermined and some viewpoints are not funded over others as part of an illegal boycott.”

[Skwor]

Until you can actually quote a statue, regulation or Act that supports your ramblings I will consider you silly. You continue to argue through assertion and now toss in a Latin phrase, showing little understanding of what it actually means.

I am still waiting for you to provide support in your very clear statement that antitrust laws only apply to competitors.

First to quote you “The laws pertain to COMPETITORS, not customers.” and your most recent post doubles down on that assertion, again quoting you “Laws protecting competition apply to competitors: there are none here.”

I asked for your reference, give me the proof that supports your quote, instead you only assert it again and go down the road of sophistry. You are a confused person.

This discussion will not proceed further until you provide the legal justification for your assertion.

[Miami Rebel]

The good news for the defendants is that the burden is upon X to establish a duty for customers to sustain competition in an industry.

Likewise, the burden is on you to establish why advertisers aren’t free to boycott X.

If you can find a single case proving otherwise please share it.

I will say that the FTC’s site offers guidance (google “ftc boycotts”) on the legality of group boycotts and in each and every illustration the examples are of [excuse the word] competitors,

I’m done here, except to ask if public figures, let’s say Tucker Carlson and Elon Musk and Jesse Watters, were to advocate a boycott of Bud Light, might they be found liable for violating anti-trust or any other statute?

[mewzilla]

Related. Don't make the mistake this is just about the Harkles. Watch the entire 20 minutes to get a far better idea of j6st who is involved. And not just on this side of the pond. From YouTuberThe Royal Grift.....

EXPLOITATION: How Meghan and Harry use the Archewell Parent Network as a Deflection...

GARM is just one entity involved.