Jun 26, 2020

George Floyd: US phone giant Verizon joins Facebook ad boycott

US telecoms operator Verizon has become the latest major company to pull advertising from Facebook platforms. The company joins Ben and Jerry's and a growing list of firms boycotting the social media giant over its handling of controversial posts. Verizon is believed to be the biggest advertiser so far to back the Stop Hate for Profit campaign. "Our brand safety standards have not changed. We're pausing our advertising until Facebook can create an acceptable solution that makes us comfortable and is consistent with what we've done with YouTube and other partners," a Verizon spokesperson told the BBC. In response to Verizon's announcement, Carolyn Everson, vice president for Facebook's Global Business Group, said: "We 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." A European Commission report this month found Facebook removed 86% of hate speech last year, up from 82.6%. The social network, says almost all of the content which violates its policies is automatically detected by its systems and removed before it is reported.

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