Unilever has suspend all advertising on Twitter and Facebook properties for the rest of the year.
“Given our responsibility framework and the polarized atmosphere in the U.S., we have decided that starting now through at least the end of the year, we will not run brand advertising in social-media newsfeed platforms Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter in the U.S.,” the consumer goods giant stated.
“Continuing to advertise on these platforms at this time would not add value to people and society,” it added.
Last year, Unilever spent just over $42 million advertising on Facebook’s flagship platform, according to analytics firm Pathmatics.
Leading up to the decision, a growing number of brands have joined the #StopHateForProfit campaign, which was recently launched by the NAACP, the Anti-Defamation League and other civil-rights groups. It has focused on Facebook’s refusal to take a harder line on President Trump and other messengers of misinformation and hate.
As of Friday, the growing list of brands committed to boycotting Facebook properties included Verizon, Ben & Jerry’s, Eddie Bauer, Magnolia Pictures, Patagonia, The North Face, REI, and Upwork.
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