TORONTO –Desjardins Group, Canada’s largest federation of credit unions, has joined with other lenders in this country in a widespread boycott of Facebook in response to U.S. civil rights groups seeking to pressure the world’s largest social media platform to take concrete steps to block hate speech.
According to Reuters, the credit unions have joined with more than 400 brands and have pulled advertising on Facebook in response to the “Stop Hate for Profit” campaign, begun after the death of George Floyd.
Other financial institutions joining in the boycott include Royal Bank of Canada, Dominion Bank, Bank of Nova Scotia, Bank of Montreal, National Bank of Canada, and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce.
On its website, Desjardins Group said it will pause advertising on Facebook and Instagram for the month “barring any exceptional situations where we need to communicate with our members or clients.”