(Reuters) – A long list of companies has pulled advertising from Facebook Inc in support of a campaign that called on the social media giant for not doing enough to stop hate speech on their platforms.
The Stop Hate for Profit campaign was launched by several United States civil rights groups after the death of African-American George Floyd in police custody triggered widespread protests against racial discrimination in the United States.
The following are some of the companies that have decided to support the campaign:
Starbucks Corp
The U.S. coffee chain said it would stop advertising on all social media platforms while continuing internal discussions, with media partners and civil rights organizations. (https://bit.ly/2CS8lTC)
Unilever Plc
The consumer goods company said it will stop advertising on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter in the United States for the rest of the year, citing “divisions and hate speech during this polarized election period in the United States.”
Adidas AG
The German sportswear giant said so, and its subsidiary Reebok will stop advertising on Facebook and Instagram globally throughout July.
Walt Disney Co
The media company will cut its ad spending on Facebook, the Wall Street Journal reported, adding that the time frame for the pullback was unclear as some brands halted their ad spending for longer periods.
Coca-Cola Co
The beverage maker will pause paid advertising on all social media platforms globally for at least 30 days, Chief Executive James Quincey said in a statement. (https://bit.ly/2NFvDOA)
Merck & Co
The drug maker said it was stopping ads on Facebook and Instagram and that it was monitoring the actions Facebook is taking.
Target Corp
The retailer said it was pausing all ads on Facebook and Instagram throughout July and was re-evaluating its plans for the rest of the year.
Ford Motor Co
The second-largest U.S. automaker said it would pause advertising on all social media platforms in the United States for 30 days, adding that it would evaluate such spending in other regions as well.
HP Inc
The computer maker said it was stopping American advertising on Facebook until the platform established stronger safeguards against objectionable content. He added that he was reviewing his social media strategy across all markets and platforms.
Lululemon Athletica Inc
The yoga clothing maker said it would pause paid advertising on Facebook and Instagram. (https://bit.ly/2Vre3lC)
Levi Strauss & Co
The denim maker said so and its subsidiary Dockers would pause all ads on Facebook and Instagram, calling on the social media company to take steps to stop disinformation and hate speech. (https://bit.ly/2VsQZ6g)
Beiersdorf AG
Cream maker Nivea said it paused ads for all of its brands on Facebook and Instagram during July.
Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc
Chipotle said it was temporarily pausing paid advertising on Facebook and Instagram as of July 1.
Diageo Plc
The world’s largest spirits maker will stop all paid advertising globally on major social media platforms beginning July 1 (https://bit.ly/2AcpOFd)
Clorox Co
The bleacher maker said it will stop spending on Facebook advertising until December.
Verizon Communications Inc
The telecom operator said it was pausing advertising until Facebook created “an acceptable solution that makes us feel comfortable.”
The north face
The outdoor brand, a unit of VF Corp, said it would withdraw from all platforms owned by Facebook. (https://bit.ly/3eyboy4)
Ben and Jerry’s
The ice cream maker said it would pause all paid advertising on Facebook and Instagram in the United States beginning July 1 (https://benjerrys.co/3ds0IzF)
Magnolia Pictures
The film studio and distributor became the first Hollywood company to join the movement. The company said in a tweet that it would stop advertising on Facebook and Instagram, starting immediately, at least until the end of July. (https://bit.ly/2NrJg44)
Patagonia
The outdoor clothing brand said it would remove all ads on Facebook and Instagram at least until the end of July. (https://bit.ly/2ND3VCl)
(Report from Nivedita Balu, Uday Sampath, and Dania Nadeem in Bangalore; Editing by Sweta Singh, Shounak Dasgupta, Vinay Dwivedi, Aditya Soni, and Maju Samuel)
