Ad Boycott of Facebook Keeps Growing
Eddie Bauer, Magnolia Pictures, Ben & Jerry’s and others have suspended campaigns over the platform’s content moderation practices.
Facebook put on an upbeat presentation to advertisers on Tuesday, the same day the clothing chain Eddie Bauer, the film distributor Magnolia Pictures and the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream brand announced that they would stop advertising on the platform through July.
Those companies joined Patagonia, the North Face, REI and others in a growing boycott that has targeted Facebook’s content moderation practices.
In a short video, part of a weeklong showcase for digital companies hoping to attract advertising dollars, Facebook displayed posts that companies like Delta Air Lines and Calvin Klein ran during the coronavirus pandemic. The prerecorded presentation did not specifically address the boycott.
While several large companies have pulled away from Facebook, smaller businesses that make up the bulk of its eight million advertisers have been considering their options.
Jason Dille, who oversees media planning for 20 clients at the ad agency Chemistry, said many of them had considered putting a halt to buying ads on Facebook but that the pandemic had complicated their plans.
“Some of my clients are just starting to come back,” Mr. Dille said. “If they don’t create sales and get business to turn around, they’re going to go under.”
He added: “Facebook is a double-edged sword. You don’t want to support it, but you have to use it in order to reach a large audience.”
The backlash intensified late last month, as a flurry of misinformation appeared on Facebook amid worldwide protests against racism and police brutality. The company declined to take action against posts from President Trump — the same ones that Twitter flagged as misleading or glorifying violence.
In recent days, Facebook removed ads from Mr. Trump’s re-election campaign that featured a red triangular symbol used by the Nazis during World War II. The company also announced that it would gradually allow users to opt out of seeing political ads. On Sunday, it acknowledged in a blog post that its enforcement of content rules “isn’t perfect.”
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