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Volkswagen, Adidas, Puma join Facebook ad boycott over hate speech

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Agence France-Presse

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/reuters/07/01/fb.jpg"/><figcaption>A Facebook sign is seen at the second China International Import Expo in Shanghai, China Nov. 6, 2019. Aly Song, Reuters/File</figcaption></figure></div>FRANKFURT AM MAIN, Germany — German giants Volkswagen, Puma and Adidas on Tuesday joined a growing advertiser boycott over hate speech against Facebook, following major consumer companies like Levi&#x27;s and Coca-Cola.Some 200 brands have now paused advertising with the social media giant as part of the #StopHateForProfit campaign launched by social justice activists.The unprecedented move has already wiped billions off Facebook&#x27;s market value.Car giant Volkswagen, which also owns the Audi, Porsche and Skoda brands, said it was suspending the group&#x27;s ads on Facebook.&quot;Hate speech, discriminating comments and posts containing dangerous false information must not be published uncommented and must have consequences,&quot; the group said.Sportsgear maker Puma said it was joining the #StopHateForProfit campaign &quot;throughout July&quot;.Puma &quot;is part of an overall effort to create positive change and improvement in Facebook&#x27;s platform by demanding the removal of inaccurate, hostile and harmful conversation,&quot; a spokeswoman said.A spokesman for Puma&#x27;s rival Adidas said the company would &quot;develop criteria to develop and maintain a cosmopolitan and safe environment that will apply to ourselves and our partners&quot; during a Facebook ad pause also encompassing US subsidiary Reebok.&quot;Racism, discrimination and hateful comments should have no place either in our company or in our society,&quot; he added.The movement against online hate speech has picked up steam following George Floyd&#x27;s death on May 25 at the hands of a white policeman in Minneapolis.<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HVFHWTnVIJk?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/06/11/20/what-changes-are-governments-making-in-response-to-george-floyd-protests">What changes are governments making in response to George Floyd protests?</a></li></ul>On Friday, Facebook had said it would ban a &quot;wider category of hateful content&quot; in ads and add tags to posts that are &quot;newsworthy&quot; but violate platform rules -- following the lead of Twitter, which has used such labels on tweets from US President Donald Trump. But experts have highlighted the social network&#x27;s massive advertiser base of small- and medium-sized companies chasing over 2.6 billion worldwide users, potentially limiting the impact of big-name boycotts. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/06/30/20/as-facebook-ad-boycott-enters-new-phase-impact-unclear">As Facebook ad boycott enters new phase, impact unclear</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/07/01/20/facebook-says-will-give-priority-to-original-news-reporting">Facebook says will give priority to original news reporting</a></li></ul>Adidas has itself been in the sights of the global anti-discrimination movement.Earlier this month, the 3-stripe brand rejected claims by employees that it was not doing enough to combat racism, after its human resources chief Karen Parkin last year described such complaints as &quot;noise&quot; only discussed in the US.Parkin announced her resignation on Tuesday after 23 years at Adidas.&quot;It has become clear to me that to unify the organisation it would be better for me to retire and pave the way for change,&quot; she said in a statement.<div> © Agence France-Presse </div>

German giants Volkswagen, Puma and Adidas on Tuesday joined a growing advertiser boycott over hate speech against Facebook, following major consumer companies like Levi's and Coca-Cola.

German giants Volkswagen, Puma and Adidas on Tuesday joined a growing advertiser boycott over hate speech against Facebook, following major consumer companies like Levi's and Coca-Cola.