SAN FRANCISCO – US outdoor brand Patagonia has doubled-down on its decision to stop all advertising on Facebook. The company halted paid advertising on Facebook platforms in June 2020 because, according to Patagonia, they “spread hate speech and misinformation about climate change and our democracy.”
Facebook has this week changed its corporate name to Meta as part of a major rebrand. In a statement, the business said the new name would better “encompass” what it does, as it broadens its reach beyond social media.
The name-change follows a series of negative stories about Facebook, based on documents leaked by an ex-employee, including Frances Haugen accusing the company of putting “profits over safety.”
On the continued boycott, Ryan Gellert, CEO Patagonia said: “This decision has affected our business, and the environmental non-profits that we support – whose campaigns benefit from the social media amplification that we fund and execute. But we have learned to adapt. We are smarter and savvier in how we grow our community as a result of this advertising ban.
“The internal Facebook documents released over the last few weeks have made it incredibly clear that they know the irreparable damage that their lack of accountability causes their three billion users and the corrosive effects that has on society itself. Facebook’s leadership knows what steps it can take to mitigate such harm – yet they have repeatedly failed to reform.
“We believe Facebook has a responsibility to make sure its products do no harm, and until they do, Patagonia will continue to withhold our advertising. We encourage other businesses to join us in pushing Facebook to prioritize people and the planet over profit.”