PepsiCo, which also owns Frito-Lay and Quaker Oats, has updated its media-buying and content policies to declare viewpoint neutrality, following pressure from a shareholder resolution filed by the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF).
The policy, now posted on PepsiCo’s website, states: “PepsiCo’s media-buying and content policies are audience-centric, aiming to reach all consumers authentically, and are viewpoint neutral with respect to political or religious status or views.” This language was added after ADF’s shareholder resolution alleged that PepsiCo had colluded with the world’s largest advertising buyers, agencies, and social media platforms under the framework of the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM). According to the ADF, this collaboration resulted in the demonetisation of platforms, podcasts, and news outlets that expressed unfavourable political or religious viewpoints.
“This is a big win when it comes to shareholders engaging and trying to hold corporations accountable for censorship,” said Jeremy Tedesco, ADF Senior Vice President of Corporate Engagement, in an interview with Fox News.
GARM, a coalition founded by the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) in 2019, was established in the wake of the Christchurch mosque shootings in New Zealand, during which the attacker livestreamed the attack on Facebook. The alliance’s original aim was to ensure that advertisers did not inadvertently support illegal or harmful content that could damage their brands. In practice, its focus shifted to promoting “brand and digital safety” by addressing what it described in poorly defined terms as harmful and misleading media environments, while ensuring that platforms challenged ‘hate speech’ and ‘disinformation’.
The initiative, which sought to exert significant influence over media policies, quickly came under intense scrutiny. Critics argued that GARM’s activities raised serious concerns about free speech, particularly its alleged role in pressuring media platforms to adopt policies that could suppress content not aligned with progressive, Left-leaning political or ideological viewpoints. A report published last year by the US House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, led by Jim Jordan, a Republican from Ohio, claimed that GARM had attempted to influence content online by depriving disfavored content or entire platforms of advertising dollars.
The committee’s report included internal emails that appeared to show GARM’s leadership discussing how to use the alliance to target news outlets with Right-wing viewpoints. Among the outlets allegedly discussed as targets were Fox News, The Daily Wire, and Breitbart News. Additionally, GARM members reportedly discussed halting all paid advertising on X (formerly Twitter) following Elon Musk’s acquisition of the platform.
Last year, GARM was discontinued following an antitrust lawsuit led by Musk. Musk accused the coalition of acting in an anti-competitive manner by pressuring platforms to censor speech, particularly content that did not conform to GARM’s standards of “responsible” media.
In a statement announcing its dissolution, the WFA described GARM as a small, not-for-profit initiative, adding, “Recent allegations that unfortunately misconstrue its purpose and activities have caused a distraction and significantly drained its resources and finances. GARM therefore is making the difficult decision to discontinue its activities.”
PepsiCo’s new viewpoint neutrality policy marks a significant shift, reflecting the growing pressure on corporations to ensure that their media-buying and content practices avoid censoring or restricting diverse viewpoints. This move comes amid a broader discussion, particularly in the context of a second Trump presidency, about ‘corporate responsibility’ and the appropriate balance between protecting brand safety from alleged ‘hate speech’ and safeguarding lawful free speech online.
