Should we be boycotting Facebook?
Patagonia has joined companies like REI and The North Face, saying it plans to pause advertising on Facebook and Instagram to show support for a movement called ”#StopHateForProfit.” The Stop Hate For Profit campaign that started in 2020 is a campaign calling on brands to join the boycott of pulling their advertising from Facebook platforms. Facebook has over 3 billion users worldwide and is the largest social platform in the digital world. But is the social media giant prioritising profit over people and planet?
Climate denier ads have been viewed 8 MILLION times through social network filters. There has been a 77% increase of engagement on Facebook this year on content spreading climate conspiracy content since January; this totals to 1.36 million views and the small amount of posts that are fact-checked is only a mere 4%.
Facebook have recently released a statement, announcing new efforts to combat the climate crisis by expanding its science centre to provide reliable information. They also have said they are investing in organisations that fight misinformation and launching a video series to highlight climate advocates that will be published on Facebook and Instagram.
I suppose time will tell on whether Facebook’s statement comes into fruition – However in the meantime, don’t believe everything you see on your feeds, take the time to do the research yourself.*
Climate change is definitely a thing – click here to see how you can make a difference.