A key figure behind the Stop Hate for Profit initiative has said that Harry and Meghan have asked which brands they can ‘target’ in support of the movement.
Stop Hate for Profit is calling on major companies to pull their advertising campaigns from Facebook until the social media giant takes action to stop the spread of so-called hate speech.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have asked Jim Steyer, one of the organizers of the advertising boycott, ‘which brands they could help target’, although it is not clear in which way the couple will do this.
The initiative has already attracted support from major brands including Coca Cola and Unilever.
A key figure behind the Stop Hate for Profit initiative has said that Harry and Meghan have asked which brands they can ‘target’ in support of the movement
Jim Steyer (pictured), who is chief executive of the charity Common Sense Media and a lecturer on civil liberties at Stanford University, said Harry and Meghan had reached out to the organizers personally and asked how they could get involved
Mr Steyer, who is chief executive of the charity Common Sense Media and a lecturer on civil liberties at Stanford University, said Harry and Meghan had reached out to the organizers personally and asked how they could get involved.
‘They are outspoken advocates of Stop Hate for Profit and we appreciate that,’ Mr Steyer told The Times newspaper.
He continued: ‘We are gratified that they have spoken out. This is a multiracial couple that has dealt with hate speech and racist statements, so the fact they want to be part of the Stop Hate for Profit movement is terrific, and now they are thinking of their own kids.’
Stop Hate for Profit is calling for companies to withdraw advertising from Facebook and sister site Instagram this month in order to force the company to do more to tackle hate speech on its social media platforms. Leading civil rights groups including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People are behind the project, which has already attracted support from Coca Cola and Unilever among others.
Facebook shares have dropped a staggering $56 billion after major companies including Unilever and Coca-Cola pulled their advertisements from the social media giant, despite CEO Mark Zuckerberg promising action on hate speech and putting a warning label on a Republican National Committee (RNC) video.
Shares in the platform went crashing 8.3 percent to $216.08 by the closing bell Friday – its lowest in three months – after more than 100 advertisers boycotted the firm for its failure to stop hate speech and misinformation posted on its platform. Seen: CEO Mark Zuckerberg
This wiped $56 billion off Facebook’s market value and dealt a hefty $7.2 billion blow to Zuckerberg’s personal fortune, pushing him down from third to fourth place on Bloomberg Billionaires Index and leaving him with a new net worth of $82.3 billion.
Coca-Cola and Unilever became the latest major corporations to pull the plug on Facebook advertising Friday, joining several firms including Dove, Honda and Ben & Jerry’s in a show of support for the #StopHateForProfit campaign.
Coca-Cola announced a pause on all paid social media advertising globally for at least 30 days saying ‘there is no place for racism in the world and there is no place for racism on social media’ while Unilever, one of the world’s biggest advertisers, said it would stop spending money with Facebook for the rest of the year.
Zuckerberg buckled under the pressure Friday and announced new content policies for the platform, including tighter restrictions on advertising and labels for ‘harmful’ posts from public figures.
Since stepping back as a senior member of the Royal Family and relocating to North America, Meghan Markle has been a vocal supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement and some have suggested that a political career could await the duchess.
In a clip released in the wake of George Floyd’s death to her alma mater, Immaculate Heart High School, the 38-year-old former actress said: ‘George Floyd’s life mattered and Breonna Taylor’s life mattered and Philando Castile’s life mattered and Tamir Rice’s life mattered’.
Since stepping back as a senior member of the Royal Family and relocating to North America, Meghan Markle has been a vocal supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement and some have suggested that a political career could await the duchess
On speaking out about Mr Floyd, she said: ‘I wasn’t sure what I could say to you. I wanted to say the right thing and I was really nervous that it would get picked apart. And I realised the only wrong thing to say is to say nothing’.
Royal author Lady Colin Campbell recently claimed that Meghan’s move to the US was part of a plan to shift into the political sphere.
It comes as the duke and duchess intend to launch their own charitable foundation, Archewell, which will reportedly address online hate speech.
It is believed the couple were planning to launch their non-profit organisation from Los Angeles in spring – after formally registering the name in the US.
However the public launch was postponed as Harry and Meghan focus their efforts towards the coronavirus crisis and Black Lives Matter movement, according to reports.