Outdoor brands including Patagonia and The North Face boycott Facebook

Outdoor apparel maker Patagonia is temporarily pulling its ads from Facebook and its Instagram platform until the social media company acts to prevent the spread of what critics say is hate-inciting content. 

Patagonia joins outdoor brands The North Face and Recreational Equipment (REI) in boycotting Facebook after Stop Hate for Profit urged companies to pull their advertising from Facebook. The civil rights campaign contends the technology giant isn't doing enough to curb racist and other forms of hateful speech on the platform.

Patagonia said it will suspend ads at least through the end of July because Facebook has for too long "failed to take sufficient steps to stop the spread of hateful lies and dangerous propaganda," the company said in a statement on Sunday. Patagonia also accused Facebook of being "complicit in spreading disinformation and fomenting fear and hatred." 

 "We deeply respect any brand's decision, and remain focused on the important work of removing hate speech and providing critical voting information," said Carolyn Everson, vice president, Global Business Group Facebook, said in a statement. "Our conversations with marketers and civil rights organizations are about how, together, we can be a force for good."

In 2019, Facebook had ad revenue of nearly $70 billion. Patagonia spent nearly $1 million in Facebook ads last year, most of them related to environmental issues. Apparel company VF Corp — the maker of North Face, Jansport, Timberland and other brands — and Upwork, a networking site for freelancers, have also suspended their ads on Facebook. 

—The Associated Press contributed to this report