North Face, Patagonia, REI join Facebook advertiser boycott

Enlarge / The participating businesses have decided the best way to show "dislike" is to withhold money. (credit: GreyParrot | Getty Images)

Several brands have agreed to suspend advertising on Facebook for the month of July and are calling for other companies to join them in boycotting the platform to protest its handling of racism and hate speech.

Patagonia, producer of high-end outerwear, on Sunday became the most recent company to say it was pulling all advertising from Facebook and Instagram for the time being. "For too long, Facebook has failed to take sufficient steps to stop the spread of hateful lies and dangerous propaganda on its platform," company head of marketing Cory Bayers said in a written statement. "The stakes are too high to sit back and let the company continue to be complicit in spreading disinformation and fomenting fear and hatred."

Patagonia followed employee placement firm Upwork and outdoor wear competitors REI and The North Face, which all confirmed on Friday they would join the boycott. North Face parent company VF Corp also told CNN its other apparel brands, including Dickies, Vans, and Timberland, were considering joining the protest.