Podcaster and columnist Ben Shapiro testified before Congress on Wednesday, exposing what he called the big tech “cartel” and its alleged suppression of conservative media voices.
“We are in the midst of a trust crisis in the world of media, which is because so many in the legacy media have lied in order to preserve Left-leaning narratives,” Shapiro told the House Judiciary Committee, which recently accused the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) of harboring an “overt political bias.”
“Through GARM,” the committee discovered, “large corporations, advertising agencies, and industry associations participated in boycotts and other coordinated action to demonetize platforms, podcasts, news outlets, and other content deemed disfavored by GARM and its members.”
According to Shapiro, whose for-profit company, The Daily Wire, relies heavily on social media-driven engagement, GARM’s purely partisan disapproval and divestment could prove disastrous for businesses.
“GARM purportedly sets ‘brand safety’ standards—objective standards by which advertisers and platforms can supposedly determine just what sort of content ought to be deemed ‘safe’ for advertising,” he said. “In reality, GARM acts as a cartel. Its members account for 90 percent of ad spending in the United States—almost $1 trillion. In other words, if you’re not getting ad dollars from GARM members, it’s nearly impossible to run an ad-based business.”
The best-selling author argued that this “informal pressure system” shields the mainstream media, even amid failing trust in more traditional news outlets. By “[guaranteeing] that advertising dollars [flow] only to Left-wing media brands,” GARM and other members of the “cartel” throttle conservative platforms and limit their reach.
“We at The Daily Wire have experienced this first-hand,” Shapiro maintained. “In 2017, after Sen. [Dianne] Feinstein made her threats to bring the weight of government down on social media platforms, Daily Wire YouTube channels saw a one thousand percent increase in content enforcements over a two-year period,” he said. “Since 2021, after Democrat officials further turned up the heat on social media companies, my personal Facebook page has seen an over 80 percent drop in impressions.”
He later added that the presumed “intent” is to “[shut] down the marketplace of ideas.”
Watch Shapiro’s opening statement below.
Watch @benshapiro's opening statement in the House Judiciary Committee: pic.twitter.com/S0i47n7Vvl
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) July 10, 2024
While the First Amendment expressly prohibits government interference in the people’s right to free speech, Washington has increasingly bypassed this constitutional safeguard by outsourcing censorship to private entities such as Facebook and YouTube. As the distinction between government and private censorship blurs, it becomes evident that Washington itself is culpable for these indirect suppression tactics.
From Congress to the White House, Uncle Sam is attempting to silence us. Thankfully, as Ben Shapiro has pointed out, we can use Article V of the Constitution to fight back and reassert our rights.
“I absolutely support the Convention of States Project, designed for fulfilling the Constitutional methodologies for protecting our rights,” he said. “Article V exists so that the people have the final say, not the federal government. Yes, it can happen—and yes, it should happen. . . . If you believe the people should decide instead of Washington, DC, then you should support the Convention of States Project.”
Convention of States is fighting for a future free from federal censorship, overreach, and tyranny. To join Mr. Shapiro in support of our constitutional endeavor, sign the Convention of States petition below.
