The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
House panel demands Coke records in censorship probe
Firms, advertisers accused of curbing conservative views.
The Republican-led U.S. House Judiciary Committee has a new target in its probe into whether efforts by major companies and advertising agencies to combat online misinformation and harmful content suppresses con- servative speech and media.
The committee on Tues- day wrote Coca-Cola’s chair- man and chief executive, James Quincey, demanding the Atlanta-based giant provide records and com- munications related to its involvement in an adver- tising industry trade group, the “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast and Spotify, the pro- gram’s host platform.
Rogan, the most popu- lar podcaster on Spotify, has been embroiled in sev- eral controversies in recent years. Most notably, doctors and public health experts accused him of spread- ing misinformation about COVID-19 and coronavirus vaccines.
Health officials called for
cotts of Spotify and musi- cians, including Neil Young and Joni Mitchell, temporar- ily pulled their songs off the streaming service. Advertis- ers were largely quiet on the controversy. Spotify added disclaimers to Rogan’s shows that touched on COVID-19 but backed the star.
It’s unclear whether Coke has advertised on Rogan’s show, though he has often made references to the com- pany — sometimes erroneous statements — on the podcast and in other forums.
The letter, signed by Judi- ciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, seeks records about Coke’s involvement with the World Federation of Advertisers and its Global Alliance for Responsible Media ini- tiative, or GARM, a collabo- ration of major advertisers backed by the World Eco- nomic Forum that seeks to create brand safety standards for online content.
Coca-Cola did not imme- diately provide comment.
Advertisers generally have standards about how their brands are presented and where their content appears on the internet. Social media companies such as X, for- merly known as Twitter, and a number of conservative media groups have faced boy- cotts from advertisers over concerns about misinformation, racist and antisemitic speech, and other objec- tionable or harmful content. Jordan launched an investi tion in March 2023, shortly after he took the reins of the powerful committee, that alleged companies and trade groups could be violat- ing antitrust laws by taking actions with their influence and advertising spending that can demonetize or deplatform conservative speech.
Jordan has made probes of alleged online censor- ship of conservative views one of the top priorities of his chairmanship, and it’s likely hearings could come later this year. The committee also has sought records related to the Fulton County election fraud case against former President Donald Trump and co-defendants. Critics say Jordan is weaponizing the power of his committee to go after perceived enemies.
Last year, Jordan subpoenaed records from GARM and the World Federation of Advertisers. In March, the committee sought information from a number of major corporations, including Unilever and Proctor & Gamble.
The committee’s letter to Coke sets a May 7 deadline for various records. These include communications between the company and the World Federation of Advertisers and GARM related to “advertising, so-called misinformation, so-called harmful content, or disfavored content on Spotify” and Rogan’s show.
Jordan sent a similar letter on Tuesday to the renewable energy company Orsted demanding records related to the social media platform X and billionaire Elon Musk’s purchase of the company.