Verizon Joins Advertising Boycott Against Facebook 

On Thursday, Verizon Communications Inc said that they will pause all advertising on Facebook in July. This move is aimed at supporting a campaign that called out the social media giant for not taking enough steps to stop hate speech on its platforms.

The advertising boycott has gained the backing of several U.S. companies. Following its announcement, Verizon is one of the biggest companies to join the moment.

This is not only a big step for the boycott movement but also a hard blow to the efforts of Facebook to contain the growing revolt.

A Verizon representative said, “We’re pausing our advertising until Facebook can create an acceptable solution that makes us comfortable.”

Civil rights groups in the U.S. are urging that brand should support the Stop Hate for Profit campaigns. They protest to the biggest social network’s approach to eliminating hate speech, misinformation, and harassment.

On Thursday, in a letter, Anti-Defamation League said to advertisers that it had found a Verizon ad places next to a video containing anti-Semitic rhetoric, on Facebook, from conspiracy group QAnon.

The ADL said, “Advertisements are running alongside divisive, hateful and conspiratorial content – not something that most companies want.”

Earlier, Ice cream brand Ben & Jerry’s and outdoor gear companies Patagonia and The North Face said they would suspend Facebook ads. The social media giant said it is working with civil rights organizations.

Carolyn Everson, Facebook’s VP of global business, said “We respect any brand’s decision and remain focused on the important work of removing hate speech and providing critical voting information.”

On Wednesday, Procter & Gamble Co, consumer goods giant, which is also Facebook’s top spenders have pledged to conduct a review of ad platforms. The company will stop spending where it found hateful content.

However, the company has declined to address if they had reached any decision on Facebook.