Unilever joins ranks of companies pulling ads from Facebook

A handful of companies have pulled advertising from Facebook Inc in support of a campaign that called out the social media giant for not doing enough to stop hate speech on its platforms.

Unilever PLC said on Friday that it will stop advertising on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter in the United States for the rest of the year, citing "divisiveness and hate speech during this polarized election period in the US".

The consumer goods company, which owns brands like Dove soap and Lipton tea, joins a growing advertising boycott against Facebook as part of the Stop Hate for Profit campaign.

The campaign was started by several US civil rights groups after the death of African-American George Floyd in police custody triggered widespread protests against racial discrimination in the US.