Twitter is Running Ads Next to Hate Speech. Maybe it Will Work Out?

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Don’t say we didn’t warn you, advertisers. According to Media Matters, Twitter has been running ads next to hateful content, including Holocaust deniers. That means big money for Twitter, if an analysis of revenue on ads by the Center for Countering Digital Hate is to be believed. That is, unless advertisers decide they don’t want their ads next to tweets made by actual Nazis. Because nothing says fine Apple products like Holocaust denial. That was sarcasm, but, oddly enough, Apple did have ties to slave labor and possible genocide in China, and they are still advertising on Twitter.

Some companies have decided to pull out of advertising on Twitter. Fiverr announced they “don’t condone hateful content” when they pulled all advertising from Twitter.

Others, like The Wall Street Journal, Nokia, Mailchimp, FanDuel, and potentially any other advertiser on Twitter, have had their ads run next to hate speech. In many cases, that included Holocaust deniers. Meanwhile, Twitter could make millions off of hateful accounts, as long as companies continue to tolerate antisemitism and hate.

Ads and Hate Speech, Together at Last!

 

There’s nothing The Wall Street Journal wants more than to be associated with misinformation, hate speech, and anti-immigration provocation. Oh, that’s not the case? Then why would their ads show up to tweets from Lana Lokteff, one of the hosts of Red Ice TV, a network that, according to Media Matters, promotes Holocaust denial and the Southern Poverty Law Center claims promotes white supremacy? Surely, knowing that Twitter allowed hate speech back on the platform would have stopped them if they didn’t want their company associated with hate.

Or how about Nokia? Their ads showed up next to tweets claiming “sodomy & abortion are 2 Jewish sacraments,” as well as use of the N-word. Mailchimp’s ads showed up among Islamophobic tweets. FanDuel’s among antisemitism and anti-science tweets. Did these companies want to be associated with hate and bigotry? If not, why continue advertising on a site that will run their ads alongside it? While Twitter is to blame for continuing to allow hate speech to proliferate on their platform, each company that decides to be a part of that platform also condones it. As a result, their ads run next to hate speech, and by doing nothing, companies state they’re okay with that.

Banking on Hate

According to a report from the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), Twitter stands to make millions from ads displaying next to hateful content. Just 10 of these hateful accounts have millions of followers and impressions. With a predictable ratio of ads to tweets, and an average cost for ads, the CCDH was able to estimate that Twitter could make as much as $19 million from accounts accused of spreading hate. That is, if advertisers are comfortable with their ads displaying next to hate speech. Perhaps these companies won’t want to be associated with Holocaust denial and provocations of violence like those seen on Facebook prior to the Rohingya genocide. Or perhaps companies like The Wall Street Journal, Nokia, FanDuel, and Mailchimp enjoy the attention hate speech brings their brands?

Many companies have pulled their ads from Twitter, seemingly causing a panic at the company as it attempted to drastically reduce costs and pivot to Twitter Blue subscriptions as a method of seeking revenue. However, hate hasn’t chased every company from Twitter just yet. Some are okay with that association.

For now.

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Sources:

• Hannah Gais, Southern Poverty Law Center
• Eric Hanaoki, Media Matters
• Taylor Lorenz, The Washington Post
• Mia Sato, The Verge