MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Unilever stops advertising on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram in US until the end of 2020

“The polarized atmosphere places an increased responsibility on brands to build a trusted & safe digital ecosystem. Our action starts now until the end of 2020.”

Consumer giant Unilever, home to brands including Ben and Jerry's and Marmite, said on Friday it will stop advertising on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram in the US until the end of 2020 due to the “polarized election period” there.

The Anglo-Dutch firm is the largest of a growing list of brands halting ads on Facebook over the social media titan's perceived failure to crack down on hate speech and incitements to violence.

“We have taken the decision to stop advertising on @Facebook , @Instagram & @Twitter in the US,” Unilever said in a post on Twitter.

“The polarized atmosphere places an increased responsibility on brands to build a trusted & safe digital ecosystem. Our action starts now until the end of 2020.”

Unilever, whose brands also include Dove soap and Magnum ice cream, is a major advertiser on social media in the United States.

A Unilever spokeswoman said that the company had committed to engage with internet companies “but there is much more to be done, especially in the areas of divisiveness and hate speech during this polarized election period in the US”

“Continuing to advertise on these platforms at this time would not add value to people and society. We will be monitoring ongoing and will revisit our current position if necessary,” the spokeswoman said

US Telecoms giant Verizon announced on Thursday that it was “pausing” its advertising on Facebook, the latest company to do so after the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) called for the boycott as part of the “Stop the Hate for Profit” campaign.

The Unilever move however goes beyond Facebook and Facebook-owned Instagram to take in Twitter. Unilever has taken a series of recent steps in a bid to improve its image.

The social media company made an estimated US$70 billion annually from ads, the coalition - which includes the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) - behind #StopHateForProfit claimed in a statement on the ADL website.

Sporting goods makers Patagonia, North Face and REI, as well as the freelance staffing agency Upwork have all said they would boycott Facebook.