Charities including Barnardo's and Mind threaten to curb Facebook spending if no action taken against hate speech on platform

A group of UK charities has issued a joint statement threatening to curb spending on social media platforms, including Facebook, if they do not tackle hate speech.

The charities, which include Barnardo’s, Mind, and Parkinson’s UK, have said that not enough is currently being done to prevent hateful comments from flourishing on the platforms.

The 37 organisations have said they will recommend changes that social media platforms can make in order to prevent discrimination.

“As charities, we recognise that these platforms have a role to play in allowing us to connect with supporters and beneficiaries from all backgrounds,” the statement begins.

”But we also know that not enough is being done to stop posts which incite hate and violence being made visible.”

The statement goes on to discuss the impact that hate speech has on social media platforms.

“No one should have to see these messages in their day to day lives, and especially not when trying to access ongoing information and support.

”We believe that it’s time for social media platforms to be better, and do better by the people who use them.

“It’s time for them to take action to make their platforms more inclusive, a place for connecting and debate, not hate.”

The statement concluded: “Together, we will take stock of what’s happening, scaling back our social media spend where we can, without it impacting our ability to deliver vital services.”

The charities’ statement comes after a growing list of major companies, including Coca Cola, Starbucks and Unilever, have temporarily stopped advertising on Facebook due to its lack of action in terms of tackling hate speech.

Last month, Ben & Jerry’s announced it would be pulling advertising from Facebook as part of the Stop Hate For Profit campaign that is calling on the platform to implement harsher measures to prevent racism and hateful content being published by its users.

Announcing its participation in the campaign on Twitter, Ben & Jerry’s wrote: “We will pause all paid advertising on Facebook and Instagram in the US in support of the #StopHateForProfit campaign.

“Facebook, Inc. must take the clear and unequivocal actions to stop its platform from being used to spread and amplify racism and hate.”

Facebook has previously outlined the actions it is taking to advance racial justice on the platform in a statement issued online.

“Our apps were built to give people a voice,” the statement began. “Every day, people come together to learn, organise and inspire others on critical issues. We believe that building an inclusive society depends upon people being able to share their diverse perspectives.

“But we recognise that words are not enough. We are also taking action.”

A Facebook Company spokesperson said: “We take these matters very seriously and respect the feedback from the charities who use our platforms. We’ve made significant investments in technology and people to help keep hate speech off our platform – we don’t want or benefit from this kind of content.

We find nearly 90 per cent of Hate Speech we action before users report it to us and a recent EU report found Facebook assessed more hate speech reports in 24 hours than Twitter and YouTube. Our charitable giving tools are available in more than 20 countries around the world enabling charities to raise more than $3 billion.”

You can read the full statement here.