Details and big picture through an "X"/Rumble - GARM dustup lens

An old Janus sculpture in Reggio Emilia, Italy. I Stock Photo (royalty-free)

The Big Picture

July and August 2024 bore witness to a profound interplay of events, intricately weaving together geopolitics, international public policy, censorship, propaganda, PsyWar, and the World Wide Web (internet). These events, previously discussed in the substack essay titled “Harris, Walz, and the UK Thought Police,” included a surge in internet speech, thoughtcrime, and pre-crime arrests in the UK. These activities, with their potential to set a precedent for similar actions in Canada, other FVEY intelligence alliance nations, and depending on 2024 presidential election outcomes, even the United States, carry a significant weight.

All of this reminds me of the infamous curse, “May you live in interesting times.”

These actions are not just isolated incidents but are likely to lead to a major restructuring of the current Western national political consensus concerning the classical liberal value of “freedom of speech” and the structure of the internet as we know it. This potential restructuring, with its far-reaching implications, should not be taken lightly, but rather be a cause for concern and a topic for deep, thoughtful consideration.

I am also reminded of the African saying, “When the elephants fight, the mice hide.”

Undoubtedly, the World Wide Web, otherwise known as the Internet, is a truly disruptive technology.

As I consider current trends in the globalization movement, and advocacy for some sort of a “one world government” consisting of a multi-tiered governance structure modeled on the European Union (with nation-states at the bottom, a UN-WEF alliance in operational charge of daily management, and global public-private partnerships setting agendas and policy goals), I am struck that all of this is justified based on the thesis that the “big” problems facing the world cannot be solved at the level of shifting alliances and treaties between sovereign nation-states.

Strangely, the beating heart of the many “global” challenges that seem to prompt the most gnashing of globalist teeth is not energy, population, climate, technology, or resource allocation. The biggest problem seems to be the global free flow of information, opinion, thought, and speech, which is a direct consequence of the fundamental nature of the World Wide Web.

“Information wants to be free”

Stewart Brand, the founder of the Whole Earth Catalog, during a conversation at the first Hackers Conference in 1984.

This battle regarding the freedom of information to cross international boundaries and the rights of governments, globalist organizations, and NGOs to manipulate and define “The Great Narrative” using advanced psychological warfare (PsyWar) and Fifth Generation Warfare/Hybrid Warfare methods and doctrine is now coming to a head like a massive global boil.

And as the battle lines are drawn, various high-net-worth individuals, businesses, senior politicians, and top-tier “influencers” are forced to take sides. As with any war, this creates both enormous risk and strange bedfellows. Because this is a global conflict, there is essentially no place of refuge. We will all be swept up into what will likely become a combination of information, economic, and kinetic warfare.

I cannot predict the outcome at this point. As I discussed in my Geneva “Battle of Evermore” speech, it is increasingly difficult even to sort friend from foe. Hence, the metaphor of Janus, the Roman god of beginnings, gates, transitions, time, duality, doorways, passages, frames, and endings, who is typically depicted as having two faces.

What I do know is that those who value liberty and freedom of speech and thought need to pay attention to the Elephants’ fights, what they fight over, and how they war with each other because this is essential knowledge for preparing and protecting yourself and your loved ones during their battle.

The Details

As of August 06, 20204, GARM, the Global Alliance for Responsible Media, is now being sued for business damages incurred by both “X” and Rumble, which are consequent to what they claim to be GARM harms.

In an almost immediate (August 08, 2024) response to this lawsuit, GARM sponsor, the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA), has decided to “discontinue” GARM. According to the WFA statement:

Today we announce that GARM will discontinue its activities.

The Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) was a voluntary cross-industry initiative created in 2019 to address digital safety. GARM was set up in the wake of the Christchurch New Zealand Mosque shootings during which the killer livestreamed the attack on Facebook. This followed a slew of high-profile cases where brands’ ads appeared next to illegal or harmful content, such as promoting terrorism or child pornography – creating both consumer and reputational issues for brands.

Since its launch, GARM has enhanced transparency in ad placements on digital social media by providing voluntary and pro-competitive tools for the advertising industry. These tools provide information to help advertisers avoid inadvertently supporting harmful and illegal content, reducing such ads from 6.1% in 2020 to 1.7% in 2023. GARM’s toolset includes the Brand Safety Floor and the Adjacency Standards Framework, which have supported brand owners in their independent development of their own bespoke, brand-specific safety frameworks to ensure that their advertising dollars do not inadvertently support illegal or harmful content that damages their brands.

GARM is a small, not-for-profit initiative, and recent allegations that unfortunately misconstrue its purpose and activities have caused a distraction and significantly drained its resources and finances. WFA therefore is making the difficult decision to discontinue GARM activities.

Frankly, I fully expect WFA to fold up GARM and then see the formation of another cutout organization seeking to advance the same agenda, supported by the same cast of characters.

GARM’s activities and alleged actions have implications for Google AdSense, as they may impact the advertising revenue of content creators and publishers who rely on AdSense:

• GARM’s reported efforts to direct its member companies to “stop all paid advertisement” on certain platforms, including Twitter, after Elon Musk’s purchase, could have resulted in a loss of AdSense revenue for content creators and publishers who relied on those platforms.

• The alleged conspiracy by GARM members to withhold advertising revenue from X (formerly Twitter) after Musk’s takeover may also have affected AdSense earnings for content creators and publishers who used the platform.

Google’s AdSense software and capabilities have come to dominate on-line advertising revenue by exploiting the Surveillance Capitalism business model to yield behavioral predictions which are then used to generate user-directed customized advertising and marketing. This business model has been determined to be monopolistic in a recent US Department of Justice court case (see below for additional details). GARM’s recommendations have been integrated into Google AdSense algorithms, resulting in a form of automated advertising boycott driven by GARM decisions regarding what constitutes mis- dis- or mal- or otherwise prohibited information and on-line speech. At a practical level, this has yielded an automated, comprehensive advertising boycott of all conservative (“right wing”) media platforms and content providers.

See the LA Times September 2023 essay “Opinion: Google has been force-feeding us ads. Now one big antitrust case could change the internet forever” for additional information and insights.

Since taking a strong “free speech” position, further exacerbated by Elon Musk's endorsement of President Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential candidacy, “X” has been swept up in the functional GARM-facilitated advertising boycott of all media that does not bend the knee to Globalist/WEF/European Union-approved narratives. Not surprisingly, “X” has objected to this tortuous business interference.

According to a statement posted on “X” by “X” CEO Linda Yaccarino, the decision to pursue legal action was prompted by evidence and information recently revealed by the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee. This report also detailed how GARM targeted Spotify at the behest of Coca-Cola corporation, specifically consequent to my podcast episode with Joe Rogan (Joe Rogan Experience episode #1757).

On July 02, 2024, “X” stated, “We’re excited to announce that X has reinstated our relationship with the @wfamarketers Global Alliance for Responsible Media.” The social media company posted on its platform Monday, adding that “X is committed to the safety of our global town square and proud to be part of the GARM community.”

On July 10, 2024, The House Judiciary Committee report, officially titled “GARM’S HARM: HOW THE WORLD’S BIGGEST BRANDS SEEK TO CONTROL ONLINE SPEECH” was published.

Apparently previously unaware of the insidious nature of the GARM consortium as a surreptitious WEF platform for indirectly facilitating censorship via adverser boycott, “X” majority shareholder Elon Musk foreshadowed this action in a July 10, 2024 post on “X”.

Relevant to this topic and timeline, on August 5, 2024 (the day before the “X” lawsuit was filed), after a 10-week trial, US District Judge Amit Mehta delivered a ruling concluding that Google had illegally monopolized the search engine market. The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) and 38 states sued Google in 2020, alleging that the company has illegally maintained a monopoly in the general search market. Judge Mehta found that Google’s exclusive search arrangements with Android and Apple devices and its contracts with browser developers created strong barriers to entry for competitors. This allowed Google to maintain its dominant position in the market, stifling competition and innovation. The court’s ruling resembles the 1999 Microsoft antitrust case, in which the company was found to have illegally maintained a monopoly in the browser market. In both cases, the courts identified exclusionary contracts and agreements as key factors in sustaining the monopolies. This decision established that the DOJ remained willing to enforce existing antitrust laws against monopolistic practices involving internet-based corporate activities.

According to “X” CEO Yaccarino:

After a career in media and advertising, I thought I had seen everything. Then I read the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee’s report entitled “GARM’s (Global Alliance for Responsible Media) Harm” last month. The report disclosed that their investigation had found evidence of an illegal boycott against many companies, including X.

As their report found: "Evidence obtained by the Committee shows that GARM and its members directly organized boycotts and used other indirect tactics to target disfavored platforms, content creators, and news organizations in an effort to demonetize and, in effect, limit certain choices for consumers."

The consequence - perhaps the intent - of this boycott was to seek to deprive X’s users, be they sports fans, gamers, journalists, activists, parents or political and corporate leaders, of the Global Town Square.

To put it simply, people are hurt when the marketplace of ideas is undermined and some viewpoints are not funded over others as part of an illegal boycott.

This behavior is a stain on a great industry, and cannot be allowed to continue.

That is why, today, X has filed an antitrust lawsuit against the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM), the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA), and GARM members CVS Health, Mars, Orsted and Unilever. This is not a decision we took lightly, but it is a direct consequence of their actions.

The illegal behavior of these organizations and their executives cost X billions of dollars.

In cross-posting Yaccarino’s announcement on August 06, 2024, Musk characterized filing the lawsuit as an act of war - apparently by “X”. Who Musk and “X” are declaring war against was not clarified, but going with the war metaphor, the appearance is that “X” is now confronting major legal conflicts on two different battlefronts: 1) The European Union/Digital Services Act (DSA) and 2) The globalized GARM/WFA face of the advertising industry. Both involve efforts to force “X” to become more restrictive in its monitoring and censorship activities and more compliant with EU and WEF/Globalist narrative enforcement guidance. Musk and “X” appear to see the actions and restrictions that the EU and GARM seek to impose as threats to “X” business interests and profitability.

As an aside, sort of “inside baseball”, Yaccarino appears to have been hired to facilitate peace with the EU and WEF. If that has failed now, and war has been declared, will Elon Musk seek a wartime CEO? Because Yaccarino may be many things, but a wartime CEO would not be on that list.

On 18 December 2023, the European Union began investigating “X” for crimes involving breaching the new EU Digital Services Act (DSA). A case can be made that the DSA was specifically created to provide a mechanism for the EU to exert censorship control over “X” and other EU-designated “Very Large Online Platforms (VLOP)”.

"Today, we opened formal proceedings against X based on several suspected infringements of the Digital Services Act," EU Commission spokesman Johannes Bahrke said.

"The opening of proceedings means that the Commission will now investigate X's systems and policies related to certain suspected infringements. It does not prejudge the outcome of the investigation."

This action was announced with a posting on “X” by EU Commissioner Thierry Breton.

According to the BBC, which itself has become notorious during the COVIDcrisis for leading the monopolistic media consortium and censorship organization known as the “Trusted News Initiative”,

These are the first formal proceedings launched under the Digital Services Act (DSA), the tough new rules for big tech firms the EU has introduced.

The DSA places extra obligations on major companies to protect users against extreme content. If they fail to do so they can face enormous fines or be suspended.

….

In October the EU said it was investigating X over the possible spread of terrorist and violent content, and hate speech, after Hamas' attack on Israel.

X said then that it had removed hundreds of Hamas-affiliated accounts from the platform.

Explaining the latest steps in its investigation into X on Monday, the EU said its probe would also consider the effectiveness of X's so-called Community Notes system.

It allows contributors to comment on the accuracy of posts, with the company considering it a bulwark against disinformation.

However, concerns about the nature of the content appearing on X have intensified since it was bought by Elon Musk - in part because he laid off many of its moderators - with the European Commission previously warning it had the biggest disinformation problem of any major platform.

In the US, controversy over extremist material appearing on the site has led to an advertising boycott, a bitter row between Mr Musk and a campaign group, and even questions about whether X could end up going bankrupt.

On 12 July 2024, the EU completed its initial investigation concerning “X” breaches of the DSA, and notified “X” of the findings.

The Commission has issued preliminary findings of non-compliance on three grievances:

First, X designs and operates its interface for the “verified accounts” with the “Blue checkmark” in a way that does not correspond to industry practice and deceives users. Since anyone can subscribe to obtain such a “verified” status, it negatively affects users' ability to make free and informed decisions about the authenticity of the accounts and the content they interact with. There is evidence of motivated malicious actors abusing the “verified account” to deceive users.

Second, X does not comply with the required transparency on advertising, as it does not provide a searchable and reliable advertisement repository, but instead put in place design features and access barriers that make the repository unfit for its transparency purpose towards users. In particular, the design does not allow for the required supervision and research into emerging risks brought about by the distribution of advertising online.

Third, X fails to provide access to its public data to researchers in line with the conditions set out in the DSA. In particular, X prohibits eligible researchers from independently accessing its public data, such as by scraping, as stated in its terms of service. In addition, X's process to grant eligible researchers access to its application programming interface (API) appears to dissuade researchers from carrying out their research projects or leave them with no other choice than to pay disproportionally high fees.

In response to this, on behalf of “X”, Elon Musk has:

• Threatened a “battle in court” against the EU’s findings, stating that X will contest the charges and potentially face fines of up to 6% of its global turnover.

• Denied any wrongdoing, claiming that the EU’s actions are politically motivated and asking EU Industry Chief Thierry Breton if similar action is being taken against other social media platforms.

As with his statements regarding GARM, Musk has used wartime language and framed “X” 's legal actions against the EU and its censorship DSA laws as a “battle.” Hence, it is reasonable to conclude that “X” and Musk are now fighting a war on two fronts against globalist censorship mechanisms and actions.

What organizational relationships exist between the World Economic Forum, GARM, Elon Musk and Linda Yaccarino?

The Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) is considered a flagship project of the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Platform for Shaping the Future of Media, Entertainment and Culture. Since at least November 2019, GARM has been a key initiative under the WEF’s umbrella. The World Economic Forum (WEF) self-identifies as a global organization that brings together leaders from business, government, academia, and civil society to shape global, regional, and industry agendas. Although not recognized as an autonomous nation-state, the WEF has “treaty” and sponsorship relationships with both the World Health Organization and the United Nations, and at times the WEF has referred to itself as a global governance organization. My characterization is that the WEF is basically a trade union whose primary membership is drawn from the largest transnational corporations in the world and that it acts to promote, sponsor, and facilitate the growth of globalized corporatism.

In a recorded video, WEF leader Klaus Schwab has bragged that the WEF has infiltrated and placed its “Young Leader” trainees in key positions within many Western governments.

“X” CEO Linda Yaccarino has extensive experience and historic ties with the WEF, and at one point, Elon Musk was identified as a WEF “Young Leader” trainee. Yaccarino has served as the chairperson of the WEF's “Worlds Taskforce on the Future of Work” and sat on the WEF's “Media, Entertainment, and Culture Industry Governors” Steering Committee. At this point, any ongoing affiliations between either Yaccarino or Musk and the WEF are unclear.

What is GARM?

Although closely affiliated with the WEF, GARM is a creation of the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA). GARM self-identifies as a collaborative initiative aimed at improving the safety of digital environments by addressing harmful and misleading media and protecting consumers and brands.

The non-profit NGO WFA is based in Geneva, Switzerland, and self-identifies as a global association for multinational marketers and national advertiser associations. Founded in 1953, it represents over 150 of the world’s top brands and over 60 national associations in over 60 markets. The WFA identifies its mission and objectives as championing effective and sustainable marketing communications by:

• Promoting responsible marketing practices

• Developing industry-wide standards and guidelines

• Providing a platform for marketers to share knowledge and best practices

• Advocating for marketers’ interests globally

The WFA has collaborated with various organizations, including:

• World Economic Forum (WEF)

• United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)

• World Health Organization (WHO)

• Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

• United Nations Women

The WFA also operates a “Diversity and Inclusion Hub” and a diversity task force, which includes companies such as Hilton Hotels, McDonald’s, Merck, P&G, Visa, Walmart, Walt Disney Company, and others.

Beyond hosting the alliance, the WEF has undertaken the following initiatives to support GARM’s mission:

• Aggregating Solutions: WEF uses GARM to aggregate solutions to major industry disruptions, driving social cohesion and helping companies remain accountable to its vision of a global social good.

• Advocacy for Digital Safety: Through its partnership with WEF, GARM leverages the forum’s network to advocate for “digital safety” and create a healthier media ecosystem.

Key Points:

• GARM is a collaborative effort between advertisers, agencies, media companies, platforms, and industry organizations.

• The alliance aims to improve the safety of digital environments by addressing harmful and misleading media, protecting consumers and brands.

• Through its partnership with WEF, GARM leverages the forum’s network to advocate for “digital safety” and create a healthier media ecosystem.

GARM has introduced guidelines concerning misinformation and new standards on ad placements.

The Conclusion

In this war, you must pick your battles and avoid getting too caught up in applying purity tests to potential allies. The conflict over the creeping tyranny with the socialist "one world government" types has been building for decades. It's a marathon, not a sprint, requiring a long war to push it back. Patience and perseverance will be key. Be strategic and tactical. Focus on the long game. Keep your eyes on the persuadable middle and avoid extreme rhetoric. Extremism, purity spirals, and moral outbidding are not pathways to victory.

Purity tests can be another form of Trollery, related to concern trolling. Be wary of those promoting purity tests, as they may actually be carrying a false flag while working for the opposition. Government deployment of PsyWar methods forces citizens who are awake and thinking for themself to take the twisted position of trusting no-one AND verifying everything. So think for yourself.

Best of luck to Alcon, and keep your head down. There is a common saying around the Washington DC beltway crowd. “If they can’t see you, they can’t shoot you”. So if you decide to become visible when joining the fight, just be careful and remember - we can’t be too picky about who we allow into our foxholes, or we will become a losing army of one.

Supplemental information relating to this essay:

The media representative for the Dhillon law group, which is managing the "X”/Rumble lawsuit against GARM, was contacted with a request to provide an official statement regarding the legal implications of the WFA decision to “discontinue” GARM activities. 24 hours after submitting this request, no response has been forthcoming.

In terms of potential conflict of interest disclosures, RWMalone MD LLC responded to an Elon Musk request for other companies harmed by GARM to join in the “X” lawsuit. Robert Malone was contacted by an attorney from Dhillon law group, which previously represented me in an action against the “Stripe” corporation. This attorney has indicated that “It appears that there could be a potential conflict of interest down the line in the GARM case so our firm can’t really get you involved”.

Reviews of PsyWar

“Dr. Robert Malone’s contributions to the shift in America's consciousness during the COVID-19 pandemic, away from the scientific lies and obfuscation that beset us and back toward objective data and important scientific insights, may never be fully appreciated, but the world would look different today were it not for his efforts. PsyWar extends that legacy by serving as an incisive resource for anyone who wants to learn more about the underside of governmental and organizational workings that aim to control human thought, undermine human sovereignty, and rob us of our God-given power—power that is rooted in our connection with the universe and one another. These forces, persistent as they may be, will fail and will fall. Dr. Malone's book provides tools to help us fortify our minds against their assault. And those readers who also invest in ridding their bodies of the stress that contributes to our susceptibility to manipulation will find themselves forever free of their instruments of human enslavement.”
—Dr. Joseph Ladapo, author of Transcend Fear: A Blueprint for Mindful Leadership in Public Health; professor at University of Florida College of Medicine; and Surgeon General of Florida

“Every government in world history has used fear and misinformation to control the citizens. Malone’s book illuminates the evolving strategies so clearly that readers will intuitively sense the undeniable truth.”
—Gavin de Becker, bestselling author of The Gift of Fear

“Psychological warfare methods were deployed to manage public responses to the assassinations of my uncle and father. In the modern digital world, PsyWar is becoming more and more sophisticated and successful in manipulating populations, groups, and individuals, and is now being widely deployed on Western nation citizens by their governments. This book is a manual on how to recognize and fight the effects of these methods and technologies that strive to control all information, thought, feelings and speech.”

—Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

“Very few people have learned more in the past five years than Robert and Jill Malone—or been braver in telling the rest of us about it. The result is this remarkable book.”
—Tucker Carlson