Facebook is providing advertisers with new brand safety guardrails on parts of the platform as it works to instill confidence that ads will run in appropriate settings. Meanwhile, Facebook detractors continue to apply pressure with a new phase in the Stop Hate for Profit campaign organized by civil rights groups this week that targets Instagram.
On Monday, Facebook laid out new remedies to give brands more control over where ads appear, particularly within videos that are published by media partners on the social network. At the same time, the groups behind Stop Hate for Profit organized a new campaign to protest Instagram, and they highlighted the support of comedian and actor Sacha Baron Cohen, who has been an unrelenting critic of Facebook.
“We recognize our responsibility to provide a safe environment for everyone using our platforms,” Facebook said in its announcement, which outlines the latest steps it has taken to provide more transparency to brands. “And while there is still more to be done, we're committed to continue investing in our people, processes and tools to help keep the platform safe for all.”
Facebook has been making changes to how it moderates the social network and sibling apps, including Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger. Brands had grown more concerned in recent months, with the U.S. presidential election approaching and civil unrest driving conversations online. Advertisers have demanded more controls to avoid appearing in contexts that highlight hot-button issues.
In July, Stop Hate for Profit, a movement backed by the Anti-Defamation League, NAACP, Color of Change and others, led an advertiser boycott of Facebook over what they considered lax policies against hate speech and disinformation. Facebook made a number of policy changes in the wake of the boycott that attracted big-spending brands like Unilever, Starbucks and Verizon. More than 1,000 brands ultimately stood with the boycott.