Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Reportedly Support the Facebook Advertising Boycott
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are reportedly supporting a boycott of Facebook advertising in an effort to end online hate speech.
According to multiple outlets, the couple is standing behind the Stop Hate For Profit campaign, which is urging brands not to advertise on Facebook in July as a way to hold the social media giant accountable for its continual failure to remove misinformation and racist content from its platform. The movement is being led by racial justice groups like Color of Change, Anti Defamation League, and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), who confirmed Meghan and Harry's commitment to the cause on Twitter.
We are grateful for the leadership of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in recognizing the importance of solidarity in this moment. Your commitment to truth, justice, and equality are appreciated. #StopHateforProfithttps://t.co/0aiOUflVY7
— NAACP (@NAACP) June 27, 2020
“As we've been developing Archewell, one of the areas The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been keen to address is online hate speech, and we've been working with civil rights and racial justice groups on it,” a source told BAZAAR.com about Meghan and Harry's involvement, adding that they've been encouraging "global CEOs to stand in solidarity" with these organizations to bring "structural changes to our online world."
Another insider working with the couple added, "For a long time, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been working on how to move the tech industry in a more humane direction." Additionally, Meghan and Harry both "believe there is an urgent and pressing need to remodel the framework of our online public spaces."
On the Stop Hate For Profit's website, organizers reveal that 99% of Facebook's $70 million profit is made through advertising. "Let's send Facebook a powerful message: Your profits will never be worth promoting hate, bigotry, racism, antisemitism and violence," they wrote, convincing more than 90 businesses — including Coca-Cola, Verizon, and Unilever — to join the boycott.
