Verizon is the newest company to enter an ongoing Facebook and Instagram ad boycott in the biggest campaign to join the #StopHateForProfit boycott.
Workers board up a Verizon store in midtown Manhattan during protests against the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd, in New York City, U.S., June 2, 2020.
The boycott, coordinated by the Anti-Defamation League, is in response to the handling of inflammatory posts by the social media giant. Ongoing misinformation concerns have escalated in recent weeks due to demonstrations against police brutality, racism, and other events that have highlighted the shortcomings of Facebook's moderation approach.
Several digital ad agencies have also begun advising clients on how to participate. One, i360, has publicly expressed support, The Wall Street Journal reported.
CNN reported that Verizon's move marks the first United States telecommunications company to participate in the boycott.
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Blame it on hate speech
A coalition of six organizations last week called on Facebook advertisers to suspend their advertising on the social media site in July. The Anti-Defamation League, NAACP, Sleeping Giants, Color of Change, Free Press, and Common Sense asked Facebook to prove they're not "going to help a business that's putting profit on protection."
On Thursday, June 25, the Anti-Defamation League released an open letter written by the organization's Chairman and National Director Jonathan Greenblatt to businesses advertising on Facebook.
"We found an [ad] for Verizon appearing next to a video from the conspiracy group QAnon drawing on hateful and antisemitic rhetoric," the letter read. "[It warned] that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is planning to bring on the civil war with concentration camps and coffins at the ready and claiming Americans are already quarantined in militarized districts."
In its statement Thursday, Verizon said they have strict content policies in place and have zero-tolerance when they are breached.
"We're pausing our advertising until Facebook can create an acceptable solution that makes us comfortable and is consistent with we've done with YouTube and other partners," said John Nitti, chief media officer for Verizon, in a statement to CNN.
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Facebook respects decision
Regarding previously announced ad boycotts, Carolyn Everson, VP Global Business Group Facebook, told CNN Business: "We deeply respect any brand's decision and remain focused on removing hate speech and providing critical voting information."
She added their conversations with marketers and civil rights organizations are about how we can be a force for good together."
This isn't the first time Verizon has engaged in a social media ad boycott. The carrier yanked their YouTube ads in 2017 following an earlier public outcry about the site's treatment of hate speech.
Verizon 's decision Thursday indicates that its boycott will continue longer than that of other businesses that have joined the Civil Rights coordinated movement.
The awareness drive is led by activist organizations, including NAACP, ADL, and Change Color.
"We applaud Verizon for joining this growing fight against hate and bigotry by pausing their advertising on Facebook's platforms until they put people and safety over profit," said ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt. "This is how real change is made."
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