Facebook Wants to Meet Groups Behind New Ad Boycott

<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)–sm Mt(0.8em)–sm" type="text" content="Advertising boycotts typically create more chatter than change, but a new one against Facebook over its refusal to keep in check what many groups see as incendiary hate speech on its platform may be the push the company needs to take some responsibility.” data-reactid=”20″>Advertising boycotts typically create more chatter than change, but a new one against Facebook over its refusal to keep in check what many groups see as incendiary hate speech on its platform may be the push the company needs to take some responsibility.

<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)–sm Mt(0.8em)–sm" type="text" content="Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s founder, chief executive officer and chairman, and Sheryl Sandberg, its chief operations officer, are said by sources to be pushing for a meeting with powerful civil rights group the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and others behind the “Stop Hate for Profit” boycott. Color of Change, the anti-Defamation League and other groups are also behind the boycott.&nbsp;” data-reactid=”21″>Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s founder, chief executive officer and chairman, and Sheryl Sandberg, its chief operations officer, are said by sources to be pushing for a meeting with powerful civil rights group the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and others behind the “Stop Hate for Profit” boycott. Color of Change, the anti-Defamation League and other groups are also behind the boycott. 

<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)–sm Mt(0.8em)–sm" type="text" content="More from WWD” data-reactid=”22″>More from WWD

<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)–sm Mt(0.8em)–sm" type="text" content="Ad leaders at Facebook are said to have been calling and e-mailing big advertisers and agencies the last few days, assuring them that Zuckerberg and Sandberg will be meeting with the NAACP and others. The meeting could come soon, as the Facebook leaders are apparently looking for concrete actions the company could ostensibly take in response to the boycott started last Friday, the Juneteenth holiday. But if a meeting takes place and Facebook decides to maintain its position of “neutrality” when it comes to speech, the boycott could linger.” data-reactid=”25″>Ad leaders at Facebook are said to have been calling and e-mailing big advertisers and agencies the last few days, assuring them that Zuckerberg and Sandberg will be meeting with the NAACP and others. The meeting could come soon, as the Facebook leaders are apparently looking for concrete actions the company could ostensibly take in response to the boycott started last Friday, the Juneteenth holiday. But if a meeting takes place and Facebook decides to maintain its position of “neutrality” when it comes to speech, the boycott could linger.

<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)–sm Mt(0.8em)–sm" type="text" content="“Facebook has long been a bad actor and Color of Change has been interacting with Facebook directly for over five years,” Jade Magnus Ogunnaike, CoC’s deputy senior campaign director, said. “We’ve come to a point now where we’re just asking corporations to put their money where their mouth is. Black Lives Matter is not a trend for corporations to exploit.”” data-reactid=”26″>“Facebook has long been a bad actor and Color of Change has been interacting with Facebook directly for over five years,” Jade Magnus Ogunnaike, CoC’s deputy senior campaign director, said. “We’ve come to a point now where we’re just asking corporations to put their money where their mouth is. Black Lives Matter is not a trend for corporations to exploit.”

<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)–sm Mt(0.8em)–sm" type="text" content="She said that what happens by the end of of July — when many of the boycotts are due to end — will dictate what actions the group takes next, but said, “We are in a watershed moment in the country, for the first time in a long time we’re experiencing a cultural narrative shift.”” data-reactid=”27″>She said that what happens by the end of of July — when many of the boycotts are due to end — will dictate what actions the group takes next, but said, “We are in a watershed moment in the country, for the first time in a long time we’re experiencing a cultural narrative shift.”

<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)–sm Mt(0.8em)–sm" type="text" content="As for whether the boycott is actually about impacting Facebook financially, or more of an effort to bring public awareness about the platform allowing hate speech and white supremacist groups, as well as “voter misinformation targeted toward Black people,” as Ogunnaike put it, she said “we want both.”” data-reactid=”28″>As for whether the boycott is actually about impacting Facebook financially, or more of an effort to bring public awareness about the platform allowing hate speech and white supremacist groups, as well as “voter misinformation targeted toward Black people,” as Ogunnaike put it, she said “we want both.”

<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)–sm Mt(0.8em)–sm" type="text" content="“Yes, we want to call attention to it, to the actions of a platform that has more adherents than Christianity, but we also want corporations to pull their funds.”” data-reactid=”29″>“Yes, we want to call attention to it, to the actions of a platform that has more adherents than Christianity, but we also want corporations to pull their funds.”

<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)–sm Mt(0.8em)–sm" type="text" content="And a meeting with the groups behind the boycott does not mean Facebook will change a thing. Zuckerberg has met with civil rights groups before, including the NAACP and CoC, over issues with Facebook’s policy, or lack thereof, on hate speech, particularly when it comes to President Trump’s at times extremely incendiary and racially charged rhetoric.” data-reactid=”30″>And a meeting with the groups behind the boycott does not mean Facebook will change a thing. Zuckerberg has met with civil rights groups before, including the NAACP and CoC, over issues with Facebook’s policy, or lack thereof, on hate speech, particularly when it comes to President Trump’s at times extremely incendiary and racially charged rhetoric.

<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)–sm Mt(0.8em)–sm" type="text" content="A phone meeting last month, stemming from Trump’s post that said “when the looting starts, the shooting starts” in regard to growing protests over the police killing of George Floyd, did not go well. After civil rights groups spoke with Zuckerberg, they released a statement saying they were “disappointed and stunned by Mark’s incomprehensible explanations for allowing the Trump posts to remain up.” Facebook made no changes to its policy on hate speech.&nbsp;&nbsp;” data-reactid=”31″>A phone meeting last month, stemming from Trump’s post that said “when the looting starts, the shooting starts” in regard to growing protests over the police killing of George Floyd, did not go well. After civil rights groups spoke with Zuckerberg, they released a statement saying they were “disappointed and stunned by Mark’s incomprehensible explanations for allowing the Trump posts to remain up.” Facebook made no changes to its policy on hate speech.  

<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)–sm Mt(0.8em)–sm" type="text" content="But with continued protesting and activist agitation over decades of police brutality against Black people and institutionalized racism in all sorts of industries, including media, Zuckerberg and Sandberg may not be able to maintain their defense of inaction. Especially as platforms like Twitter and Snapchat have been public in their recent efforts to better label misinformation and incendiary speech on its platforms, even from President Trump.” data-reactid=”32″>But with continued protesting and activist agitation over decades of police brutality against Black people and institutionalized racism in all sorts of industries, including media, Zuckerberg and Sandberg may not be able to maintain their defense of inaction. Especially as platforms like Twitter and Snapchat have been public in their recent efforts to better label misinformation and incendiary speech on its platforms, even from President Trump.

<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)–sm Mt(0.8em)–sm" type="text" content="A Facebook spokeswoman could not be reached for comment on the executives’ attempt to get a meeting with the groups behind the boycott. Carolyn Everson, Facebook’s vice president of global business, said separately through a spokeswoman: “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.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;” data-reactid=”33″>A Facebook spokeswoman could not be reached for comment on the executives’ attempt to get a meeting with the groups behind the boycott. Carolyn Everson, Facebook’s vice president of global business, said separately through a spokeswoman: “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.”      

<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)–sm Mt(0.8em)–sm" type="text" content="More than 10 advertisers have signed on to the week-old boycott so far, “pending meaningful action” by Facebook. The biggest advertiser yet to back the boycott is Verizon, which has spent about $2 million in Facebook and Instagram ads over the last two months, according to data from Sling &amp; Stone, a public relations firm and agency that tracks ad spend by platform.” data-reactid=”34″>More than 10 advertisers have signed on to the week-old boycott so far, “pending meaningful action” by Facebook. The biggest advertiser yet to back the boycott is Verizon, which has spent about $2 million in Facebook and Instagram ads over the last two months, according to data from Sling & Stone, a public relations firm and agency that tracks ad spend by platform.