Starbucks will pause all social media activity in an effort to have internal discussions with the media and civil rights organizations to help stop the spread of hate speech.
The coffee company will continue to post on social media without paid promotion, CNBC reported Sunday.
“We believe in bringing communities together, both in person and online, and we stand against hate speech,” Starbucks said in a statement. “We believe more must be done to create welcoming and inclusive online communities, and we believe both business leaders and policy makers need to come together to affect real change.”
The company is following the lead of other major advertisers that are taking part in a broader boycott of Facebook and Instagram in the “Stop Hate for Profit” campaign organized by the Anti-Defamation League, the NAACP, and other civil rights organizations. Other organizations that vowed to temporarily ban ads include Coca Cola, which will pause ads on all social media platforms worldwide, and Unilever, which will stop ads on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter through the end of the year.
Starbucks said its halt will not include ads on YouTube and added that while it’s pausing ads on other platforms, the company is not formally taking part in the campaign.
Heightened scrutiny and protests regarding policing and racial injustice have spread across the world after the death of George Floyd in police custody last month. Starbucks has been a longtime supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement and has frequently been open about its stance on bettering race relations.
