Starbucks yanks social media ads over hate speech

Starbucks is pausing advertising on some social media platforms in response to hate speech.

In a blog post, the coffee giant said it believes “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 organisations in the effort to stop the spread of hate speech,” it commented.

This won’t include YouTube. While Starbucks will continue to post to social media, it won’t do paid promotions.

It is also not officially joining the Stop Hate For Profit campaign organised by the Anti-Defamation League, the NAACP, and other social justice organisations, and aimed specifically at Facebook and its moderation policies around violent threats, misinformation, and hate speech.

Unilever, Verizon, the North Face, Patagonia, Ben & Jerry’s, Magnolia Pictures, Honda, and Hershey have all signed on to the campaign. Facebook said on Friday it would begin to label potentially harmful or misleading posts which have been left up for their news value.

Founder Mark Zuckerberg stated his company would also ban advertising containing claims "that people of a specific race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, caste, sexual orientation, gender identity or immigration status" are a threat to others.”