More than 160 companies agreed to stop buying ads on Facebook

[LostCause]

• A boycott of advertising on Facebook designed to get the social media platform to remove hate speech will next go global, say its organizers
• The 'Stop Hate for Profit' campaign will now ask European companies to join the boycott and urge regulators to take a hard stand on Facebook
• More than 160 companies, including Verizon, Unilever and Coca-Cola, already have agreed to stop buying ads on Facebook for the month of July
• Starbucks is not in the boycott, but says it will suspend advertising on all social media while working with civil rights groups to 'stop the spread of hate speech'
• Facebook saw its shares drop $56 billion in valuation Friday as the effort has impacted its perception and generated negative publicity

A boycott of advertising on Facebook designed to get the social media platform to remove hate speech will next go global, say its organizers.

The 'Stop Hate for Profit' campaign will now work on getting European companies to join the boycott and urge regulators to take a hard stand on Facebook. More than 160 companies already have agreed to not buy ads on the world's largest social media platform during the month of July, as called for by the campaign.

Starbucks, while not officially participants in the boycott, say they will suspend advertising on all social media. Starbucks says it working with civil rights groups to 'stop the spread of hate speech.'

Coca-cola and Unilever announced a similar pause on Friday, when Facebook saw its shares drop $56 billion in valuation in response to the negative publicity.

A boycott of advertising on Facebook designed to get the social media platform to remove hate speech will next go global, say its organizers. Pictured is Facebook CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg, who saw his net worth impacted by bad publicity

Free Press and Common Sense Media, along with US civil rights groups Color of Change and the Anti-Defamation League, launched the campaign following the police-related slaying of George Floyd on Memorial Day in Minneapolis.

Floyd, a 46-year-old black father of five, died after former police officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee on the man's neck for almost nine minutes during an arrest.

Video footage of the incident taken by a bystander shows the police-related slaying, which triggered Black Lives Matter protests that have followed calling for an end to police brutality and systematic racism.

The outrage in the US over Floyd's passing led to an unprecedented reaction from corporations around the world as its impact has been felt beyond US borders.

Unilever, for example, changed the name of a skin-lightening product popular in India called Fair and Lovely. The company also has agreed to an advertising pause as the Facebook ad-purchasing boycott has gained traction.

Jim Steyer, chief executive of Common Sense Media, said the next step in getting Facebook to take action is by seeking global support.

'The next frontier is global pressure,' Steyer said.

The European Commission this month already announced new guidelines for tech companies including Facebook to submit monthly reports on how they are handling coronavirus misinformation.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ch-global.html