Unilever and Verizon have become the latest brand joining an escalating movement to pull its digital advertising spending from Facebook in an effort to pressure the company into doing more to prevent racist and violent information from being shared on its social networking service.
Unilever on Friday said it will halt US ads on Facebook and Twitter for the rest of the year, citing hate speech and polarised politics as the key reasons for its decision.
“Continuing to advertise on these platforms at this time would not add value to people and society,” the consumer group said in an emailed statement. “We will be monitoring ongoing and will revisit our current position if necessary.” Verizon, one of the world’s biggest telecommunication companies, announced its decision on Thursday.
The move is part of a boycott organised by civil rights and other advocacy groups under the rallying cry of “#StopHateforProfit”. The protest, spurred by last month’s killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police, is supposed to last through July.
“We have strict content policies in place and have zero tolerance when they are breached, we take action,” New York-based Verizon said in a statement. “We’re pausing our advertising until Facebook can create an acceptable solution that makes us comfortable.”
Verizon noted that it has previously stopped advertising at other popular online destinations, such as Google’s YouTube video service, when it has felt its promotions might appear alongside content inconsistent with the company’s values.
In its own statement, Facebook executive Carolyn Everson said the company respected Verizon’s decision and remains committed to purging hateful content from its services.
“Our conversations with marketers and civil rights organisations are about how, together, we can be a force for good,” said Everson, vice president of Facebook’s global business group.
Other advertisers who have pledged to stay off Facebook and other company services such as Instagram include three major outdoor gear companies, Patagonia, The North Face and REI.
Common Sense, one of the boycott organisers, said other companies who have agree to “pause” their Facebook advertising include retailer Eddie Bauer, web browser maker Mozilla and and a movie studio, Magnolia Pictures.
Bloomberg, AP
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