Facebook boycott: These are the companies that say they’ll boycott Facebook for its hate policies

By Tori 5 years ago

A civil rights coalition, which includes the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the NAACP, launched the #StopHateforProfit campaign last week when it called on major corporations to put a pause on advertising on Facebook, citing the company’s “repeated failure to meaningfully address the vast proliferation of hate on its platforms.”

Within days, outdoor retailers REI, The North Face, and Patagonia said they were in. Other companies, including Upwork and Dashlane, joined too.

In a statement to CNN on Friday, Carolyn Everson, vice president of Facebook’s global business group, responded by saying, “We deeply respect any brand’s decision and remain focused on the important work of removing hate speech and providing critical voting information. Our conversations with marketers and civil rights organizations are about how, together, we can be a force for good.”

Here’s what we know about the companies that have joined the boycott.

The North Face

Outdoor apparel brand The North Face was the first major company to join the boycott against Facebook.

“We’re in,” The North Face tweeted on Friday. “We’re out @Facebook #StopHateForProfit.”

The North Face’s commitment applies to ads on Facebook and Facebook-owned Instagram, the brand said in a statement, though it will continue to create organic content on Instagram.

Craig Hodges, a spokesman for The North Face’s parent, VF Corp, said a number of other brands in the company’s portfolio are “considering” following in The North Face’s footsteps. VF Corp also owns Dickies, Vans, Timberland and Smartwool, among others. For the year that ended March 31, VF Corp spent $756 million on advertising.

“The North Face is halting all activity and U.S. paid advertising with Facebook until stricter policies are put in place to stop racist, violent or hateful content and misinformation from circulating on the platform,” the statement said.

REI

Outdoor equipment retailer REI joined The North Face shortly after its announcement in boycotting Facebook.

“For 82 years, we have put people over profits,” the company said in a tweet. “We’re pulling all Facebook/Instagram advertising for the month of July.”

Upwork

Upwork, which is a recruiting company, followed in the footsteps of The North Face and Patagonia on Friday.

“Upwork is hitting pause on hate with no Facebook advertising in July. #StopHateForProfit,” the company tweeted.

Patagonia

Patagonia, another outdoor apparel brand, pulled advertising on Facebook and Instagram on Sunday as part of the boycott.

“From secure elections to a global pandemic to racial justice, the stakes are too high to sit back and let the company continue to be complicit in spreading disinformation and fomenting fear and hatred,” Patagonia said in a series of tweets.

“As companies across the country work hard to ensure that Americans have access to free and fair elections this fall, we can’t stand by and contribute resources to companies that contribute to the problem.”

The company said it stands with the campaign and that the social media network’s profits is never “worth promoting hate, bigotry, racism, antisemitism and violence.”

Dashlane

Dashlane, which is a password manager, is also joining the boycott against Facebook. Dashlane CMO Joy Howard made the announcement in a blog post via the company’s website today.

The company has committed to pulling advertisements for at least the month of July, and Howard hints that the boycott could extend beyond that.

“It’s clear that Facebook is all talk, and will not take responsibility for its role in Surveillance Capitalism out of a sense of moral duty,” Howard wrote. “They will only say what money makes them say. It’s time for us to put our money where their mouth is.”

Howard has called on CMOs from other tech companies to join the boycott.

CNN’s Donie O’Sullivan, Rishi Iyengar, Michelle Toh and David Goldman contributed to this report.

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