Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announces the company will prohibit hate speech in its ads in response to customers pulling their advertisements.
Starbucks is pausing all ads on social media because it believes “more must be done to create welcoming and inclusive online communities,” the company said on Sunday.
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FACEBOOK WILL START FLAGGING SOME POLITICAL CONTENT THAT VIOLATES ITS POLICIES
“We believe in bringing communities together, both in person and online, and we stand against hate speech,” Starbucks said in a statement. “We believe both business leaders and policy makers need to come together to affect real change. We will pause advertising on all social media platforms while we continue discussions internally, with our media partners and with civil rights organizations in the effort to stop the spread of hate speech.”
In this May 21, 2020 file photo, patrons to a Starbucks in the Chicago neighborhood of Hyde Park walk past stacked chairs and tables. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
A spokesperson for the coffeehouse chain said the decision is not part of the official #StopHateForProfit boycott organized by civil rights groups.
Starbucks will continue with other kinds of digital ads, but declined to set a return date for its ads on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.
Meanwhile, Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg is losing billions in personal wealth because of companies like Verizon and Coca-Cola are suspending Facebook ads.
