On the 19th of June, The North Face announced on its Twitter page that it will be halting all U.S. paid advertising on Facebook and Instagram until stricter policies are put in place to stop “racist, violent or hateful content and misinformation from circulating on the platform”. 

A few days later, Patagonia issued a similar statement, announcing that the brand will pull all advertising on the social media platforms until at least the end of July “pending meaningful action from the social media giant”.

We’re in. We’re Out @Facebook #StopHateForProfit

Learn more: https://t.co/uAT7u7mjBG https://t.co/jVxTIH5ThQ

— The North Face (@thenorthface) June 19, 2020

The boycott comes in response to Facebook’s handing of the #BlackLivesMatter movement, with the social media giant heavily criticised for not removing a post by President Donald Trump which included the comment: “When the looting starts, the shooting starts.”

Each brand has referenced #StopHateForProfit in their announcements, a campaign led by several civil rights and advocacy groups including The Anti-Defamation League, The NAACP, Free Press and Common Sense. These groups claim that Facebook helps to amplify white supremacists and doesn’t act to stop those using the platform to incite violence. 

Main image by Jody Daunton