Microsoft, Coca-Cola, Pepsi join Facebook ad boycott

Companies have suspended their major advertising campaigns with the world’s largest social media network Facebook over inappropriate content. File Photo: IANS

Companies have suspended their major advertising campaigns with the world’s largest social media network Facebook over inappropriate content. File Photo: IANS

Published Jun 30, 2020

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Although the Black Lives Matter movement dust seems to have died down on the streets, it still continues to spark more positive change within the corporate space as companies suspend their major advertising campaigns with the world’s largest social media network Facebook over inappropriate content.

Facebook has found itself facing backlash as yet another major tech company Microsoft joins other advertisers which include Coca-Cola, Starbucks and PepsiCo that paused spending in response to Facebook's inaction on hate speech.

The suspension of advertising comes after critics said that Facebook has failed to sufficiently police hate speech and disinformation on the platform.

According to the article published on Bloomberg, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg responded on Friday to the growing criticism about misinformation on the site, announcing the company would label all voting-related posts with a link encouraging users to look at its new voter information hub.

Facebook also expanded its definition of prohibited hate speech, adding a clause saying no ads will be allowed if they label another demographic as dangerous.

“There are no exceptions for politicians in any of the policies I’m announcing here today,” Zuckerberg said.

According to Business insider Microsoft is not participating in the boycott but is pausing the ad spending because it's concerned about where the company's ads will appear.

The announcement did little to cool complaints from civil rights leaders, who say they've spent years trying to get Facebook to understand the seriousness of the problems on the platform and had won only modest concessions.

IOL TECH

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