The North Face, the renowned apparel brand offering outdoor products, is now the biggest brand to boycott Facebook ads. According to a report on CNN, the brand is now the biggest company to commit boycotting the social media platform due to its mishandling of hate speech and inaccurate information. This decision may prompt other brands to do the same.
North Face: 'We're in'
The North Face's decision to boycott these Facebook ads is due to the campaign from civil rights groups, including the Anti-Defamation League and NAACP in the campaign #StopHateForProfit, which started on Wednesday, June 17. They called out advertisers to suspend their publicity on Facebook this July.
The outdoor brand tweeted, "We're in. We're out @Facebook #StopHateForProfit."
We’re in. We’re Out @Facebook #StopHateForProfit
Learn more: https://t.co/uAT7u7mjBG https://t.co/jVxTIH5ThQ — The North Face (@thenorthface) June 19, 2020
The North Face's commitment targeted Facebook and Instagram. However, it will continue to promote organic content on its Instagram account.
A spokesperson for The North Face's parent company, VF Corp, Craig Hodges, stated that there are more brands in their jurisdiction that are considering to follow the decision of the outdoor product provider. The brands under their management include Dickies, Timberland, Vans, and Smartwool. VF Corp reportedly spent $756 million on advertising as of March 31.
The statement pointed said, "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."
Read Also: Facebook To Start Hiding Likes And Reactions In Posts This Week
What Facebook says
Carolyn Everson, Facebook's vice president for the global business group, issued a statement 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."
For several weeks, the executive team of Facebook suffered backlash over how it has been handling offensive posts on the platform such as U.S. President Donald Trump's "inflammatory rhetoric."
Their inaction toward the online posts of President Trump, including one related to the Geoge Floyd killing which expressed "looting" would lead to "shooting." There were several reactions on the post, but CEO Mark Zuckerberg has kept mum on the issue.
The Black Lives Matters protests have continued in the U.S. and in other major cities in the world. However, several other brands have already participated in the conversation. These include McDonald's, Starbucks, and Coca-Cola. Even ad agencies such as 360i revealed that it is joining the "Facebook ad boycott," the report added.
The #StopHateForProfit website said, "Let's send Facebook a powerful message: Your profits will never be worth promoting hate, bigotry, racism, antisemitism and violence." For more of the latest news on technology, follow Tech Times on social media.
