Ben & Jerry’s has joined a growing list of companies pulling advertising from Facebook platforms throughout July.
The move is part of the Stop Hate For Profit campaign, which calls on Facebook to have stricter measures against racist and hateful content.
Ben and Jerry’s tweeted: “We will pause all paid advertising on Facebook and Instagram in the US in support of the #StopHateForProfit campaign. Facebook, Inc. must take the clear and unequivocal actions to stop its platform from being used to spread and amplify racism and hate. >>>https://benjerrys.co/2CtB2WE”
Earlier this week outdoor brands The North Face, Patagonia and REI joined the campaign.
Ben & Jerry’s said it is standing with the campaign and “all those calling for Facebook to take stronger action to stop its platforms from being used to divide our nation, suppress voters, foment and fan the flames of racism and violence, and undermine our democracy.”
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After the death of African-American George Floyd in police custody, Ben & Jerry’s chief executive Matthew McCarthy said “business should be held accountable” as he set out plans to increase diversity.
Earlier this week the freelance job listing platform Upwork and the open-source software developer Mozilla also joined the campaign.
Facebook has said it was committed to “advancing equity and racial justice”.
The social network said in a statement on June 21: “We’re taking steps to review our policies, ensure diversity and transparency when making decisions on how we apply our policies, and advance racial justice and voter engagement on our platform.”
Ben & Jerry’s statement also pointed to the company’s Community Standards, which include the recognition of the platform’s importance as a “place where people feel empowered to communicate, and we take seriously our role in keeping abuse off our service”.
The Stop Hate for Profit campaign was launched last week by advocacy groups, including the Anti-Defamation League, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and the Color Of Change.
The movement has said it is a “response to Facebook’s long history of allowing racist, violent and verifiably false content to run rampant on its platform”.
Stop Hate for Profit has called on advertisers to pressure Facebook to adopt stricter measures against racist and hateful content on its platforms by stopping all spending on advertising with it throughout July.
In 2019, Facebook attracted advertising revenue of almost $70 billion.
The company and its CEO Mark Zuckerberg have often been criticized for the handling of controversial subjects.
This month Facebook’s staff spoke out against the tech giant’s decision not to remove or flag a post by President Donald Trump.
The same message was shared on Twitter, where it was hidden behind a warning label on the grounds that it “glorified violence”.
