Verizon joins Facebook ad boycott over hate speech

Verizon has become the latest company to join an advertising boycott against Facebook over the social network’s handling of hate speech, reports The Guardian, citing Verizon chief media officer John Nitti. “We have strict content policies in place and have zero tolerance when they are breached,” said Nitti, adding that “we’re pausing our advertising until Facebook can create an acceptable solution that makes us comfortable and is consistent with what we’ve done with YouTube and other partners.” Other companies that have pulled their advertising from Instagram and Facebook in recent days include Ben & Jerry’s, Patagonia and REI, said the report.

The boycott comes after the “Stop Hate for Profit” campaign was launched in the US by advocacy groups including the Anti-Defamation League, the NAACP and Color Of Change, urging advertisers to pause spending for the month of July in protest against Facebook’s “repeated failure to meaningfully address the vast proliferation of hate on its platform”.

The report adds that the campaign alerted Verizon that one of its ads on Facebook had appeared next to a video from the conspiracy group QAnon drawing on hateful and antisemitic rhetoric. Facebook’s global business group vice president Carolyn Everson responded to the ad boycotts by stating that the company “deeply respects any brand’s decision, and remains focused on the important work of removing hate speech and providing critical voting information.”