Messaging service Viber, the fifth largest with more than a billion users worldwide, is cutting all ties with Facebook as part of a growing boycott of the company by commercial partners.
The campaign initially began in the US after Facebook refused to take action against posts by Donald Trump that critics said incited violence, and has now grown into an international movement.
Viber, owned by Japanese group Rakuten, has its largest markets in Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia and North Africa, and the company's CEO, Djamel Agaoua, said the move to sever ties was prompted by Facebook's "poor judgment in understanding its role in today's world."
On Wednesday, Viber pulled all ads from Facebook and Instagram. Now, the company has begun an intensive process of removing all Facebook technology from Viber apps.
The company uses many of Facebook's tools, Agaoua said. Facebook Connect uses the "connect with Facebook" button, common on apps and websites around the world, while Viber also uses Giphy, an animated gif that Facebook bought in May.
“We know that this choice will hurt some of our users who want to use Facebook Connect solutions to connect. It also affects some of our marketing strategies , as they will not be able to use Facebook ads to promote their campaigns. It is not an easy decision. It is not going to kill Viber, but it will definitely affect it,” Agaoua said.
"We are not judges, but the truth is that some people are suffering from the proliferation of violent content and companies need to take a clear stance on this.".
Viber's decision comes as the advertising boycott that the movement started has also spread internationally. In the UK, The North Face and Patagonia will pull all advertising from the social network for the month of July.
“Facebook has not done enough to stop the spread of hate speech and dangerous propaganda on its platform for far too long,” a Patagonia spokesperson said. “On issues like safe elections, a global pandemic , and racial justice, the stakes are too high to let the company continue to participate in spreading misinformation and inciting fear and hatred.”
In addition to Viber, Ben & Jerry’s, an ice cream brand known for its strong support for social justice, has also pulled its advertising from Facebook. However, parent company Unilever, based in the United Kingdom, said that while it supports Ben & Jerry’s move, it has not yet committed to doing the same.
“As a global company, our approach has been and will continue to be to work together to identify issues, provide solutions and drive meaningful action,” a Unilever spokesperson said.
“While we have had some success and recognized the interventions our partners have made in digital media, such as establishing clearer community standards, comprehensive usage policies, protocols, and third-party audits, we know more needs to be done and are working with our partners to make the change needed.”
