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| Consumer products giant Unilever said it would pause ads on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter through 2020 (AFP Photo/LEX VAN LIESHOUT) |
The Hague (AFP) - Consumer giant Unilever, home to brands including Ben and Jerry's and Marmite, said Friday it will stop advertising on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram in the US until the end of 2020 due to the "polarized election period" there.
The
Anglo-Dutch firm joined a growing list of brands set to stop buying ads on
Facebook over the social media titan's perceived failure to crack down on hate
speech and incitements to violence.
"We
have taken the decision to stop advertising on @Facebook , @Instagram &
@Twitter in the US," Unilever said in a post on Twitter.
"The
polarized atmosphere places an increased responsibility on brands to build a
trusted & safe digital ecosystem. Our action starts now until the end of
2020."
A Unilever
spokeswoman said that the company had committed to engage with internet
companies "but there is much more to be done, especially in the areas of
divisiveness and hate speech during this polarized election period in the
U.S."
"Continuing
to advertise on these platforms at this time would not add value to people and
society. We will be monitoring ongoing and will revisit our current position if
necessary," the spokeswoman told AFP.
US Telecoms
giant Verizon announced on Thursday that it was "pausing" its
advertising on Facebook, the latest company to do so after the Anti-Defamation
League (ADL) called for the boycott as part of the "Stop the Hate for
Profit" campaign.
The
Unilever move however goes beyond Facebook and Facebook-owned Instagram to take
in Twitter.
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