X sues groups that paused ads, alleging illegal 'boycott'

Aug. 7 (UPI) -- The social media platform X said it is filing an antitrust lawsuit against a group of companies it alleges coordianted a "boycott" by pausing their advertising.

Linda Yaccarino, X's CEO, issued a statement on the platform as well as a video , charging that the Global Alliance of Responsible Media, the World Federation of Advertisers and some of its members have imposed an illegal boycott of the company.

She said the lawsuit is in response to a House Judiciary report that found evidence of the alleged boycott.

"The consequences -- perhaps the intent -- of this boycott was to seek to deprive X's users, be they sports fans, gamers, journalists, activists, parents or political or corporate leaders, of the global town square," Yaccarino wrote.

"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."

Elon Musk , who purchased the social media platform Twitter in 2022 and changed its name to X, also chimed in.

"Everyone who has been boycotted should file a lawsuit in every country they've been boycotted," Musk said on X .

Yaccarino said that X has worked with marketers around the world for decades to relieve any concerns they have about the platform and has been innovative in their approaches.

"To those who broke the law, we say enough is enough," she said. "We are compelled to seek justice for the harm that has been done by these and potentially additional defendants depending on what the legal process reveals."