(Mon) Facebook ad boycott campaign to go global
페이스북 광고 보이콧, 글로벌 기업으로 확대
Pressure on Facebook is gathering momentum. Organizers of an advertising boycott campaign say they are preparing to go global. They want Facebook to do more to remove hate speech from its platform. The "Stop Hate for Profit" campaign will begin calling on major companies in Europe to join in. More than 160 companies have thrown their weight behind it so far. They include Verizon and Unilever. Both have signed up to stop buying ads on the world’s largest social media platform for July. There are reports that Pepsi is also joining the ban. Free Press and Common Sense, along with U.S. civil rights groups Color of Change and the Anti-Defamation League, launched the campaign following the death of George Floyd. The outrage over his death has led to an unprecedented reaction from corporations around the world. Responding to demands for more action, Facebook on Sunday acknowledged it has more work to do. It says it's teaming up with civil rights groups to develop more tools to fight hate speech. And CEO Mark Zuckerberg said on Friday the company is changing. "We want to do more here to prohibit the kind of divisive and inflammatory rhetoric that has been used to sow discord . So today we're adopting some new policies to prohibit a wider category of hateful content in ads." Expanding the campaign outside the U.S. will take a bigger slice off of Facebook’s advertising revenue, but is not likely have major financial impact. The negative publicity though has hurt its reputation and stock. Campaigners say the renewed push to get more companies to join demonstrates the level of frustration felt by social justice groups and the companies that support them.
(Tue) Paris airport's 'new normal' comes with UV tunnel, thermal cameras
파리 공항의 새로운 기준, 자외선 터널과 열감지 카메라
Paris Orly Airport has ramped up security measures as it resumes commercial flights after a nearly three-month hiatus. With lockdown restrictions easing and Europe starting to open up its borders, scheduled flights resumed on Friday. Passengers can no longer enter the terminals with non-flying companions, and wearing masks is required. Alcohol gel dispensers are available across the terminals, and floor markings urge social distancing. Thermal cameras are in place at the arrival area, where passengers with a temperature of 38 degrees or above can benefit from a medical consultation, but won't be forced to go under quarantine. Tech firm LabScience has a developed a prototype of an ultraviolet-rays decontaminating tunnel which the airport is testing. The tunnel uses a high concentration of ultraviolet light over 4 to 5 seconds to kill micro-organisms on a piece of luggage or a coat, before the objects are scanned by X-ray. Orly, the second biggest airport serving the French capital, was closed to passengers on March 31. Around 74 departures and arrivals in total are scheduled for Friday, compared to the usual 600 flights a day.
(Wed) Coke, Unilever join Facebook ad boycott
코카콜라와 유니레버, 페이스북 광고 보이콧에 동참
Coca-Cola on Friday threw its weight behind an ad boycott against social media companies for not doing enough to tackle hate speech. Coke said it will pause paid advertising on all social media platforms globally for at least 30 days. Shares of Facebook were already down ahead of the news. Early on Friday, Unilever shook things up when it joined the ranks of Verizon and others who have backed the ‘Stop Hate for Profit’ campaign. But the global brand behind supermarket staples like Dove soap, Hellman’s mayonnaise and Lipton tea went a step further than the others. Not only will it stop advertising on Facebook and Instagram platforms in the U.S. for the rest of 2020 - it is also staying away from Twitter. Twitter shares fell 7 percent on the news. Citing “ divisiveness and hate speech during this polarized election period in the U.S.,” Unilever went on to explain in a statement, “Continuing to advertise on these platforms at this time would not add value to people and society.” In the wake of the death of George Floyd, the NAACP and digital civil rights group Color of Change have urged companies to pressure Facebook to do more to stop hate speech. Twitter responded in a statement, saying it has developed policies and platform capabilities designed to protect and serve the public conversation and is committed to amplifying voices from under-represented communities and marginalized groups. And will continue to work with its business partners. In his weekly Facebook video chat with employees, CEO Mark Zuckerberg didn’t address the protest directly but said Facebook will start labeling newsworthy content that would otherwise violate its policies. Earlier this week, consumer products powerhouse Procter & Gamble - another top Facebook spender, said it would carry out a review and would stop buying ads where it found hateful content. Shares of Facebook finished down by 8 percent.
(Thu) Japan's 'izakaya' pubs hurt as drinkers stay home
일본 술집 ‘이자카야’, 고객들 자택에 머물며 영업 타격
They’re the heart and soul of Japanese nightlife. But now the country’s traditional izakaya pubs face their biggest crisis. Social distancing has the whole business model in peril. For decades izakaya made money packing office workers into cozy or even cramped drinking dens. Now more people are staying home, and there’s less space for those that do venture out. Bears Corporation runs a chain of such establishments, including an upscale one in a key Tokyo business district. Boss Tadao Nakashima says it’s never been harder to make money: "I've been in this business for 24 years…” After 24 years in the business, it’s worse, he says, than the global financial crisis, or even the aftermath of the tsunami in 2011. Social distancing has cut his seating capacity by a half. Customer numbers are less than a third of this time last year. Nakashima sees little chance of an upturn later in the year, fearing a second wave of infections. One customer sums up the mood: "I'm limiting how much I spend on drinking with friends. We don't get together as much as before, but I do want to see my close friends. So I try to meet up with them just a few times a month, and spend money then.” Bears Corp has started doing takeaways, and bought a van to use for street food sales. Bars around the world will be facing similar dilemmas. But many, at least, will have more space to play with, than Japan’s izakaya.
(Fri) Amazon pledges $2 bln venture fund for clean energy
아마존, 청정 에너지 위해 20억 달러 규모 벤처펀드 조성 약속
Under pressure to take action on climate change, Amazon.com made a big commitment Tuesday. The e-commerce giant said it'll launch a $2 billion venture capital fund to develop technologies and services so it can meet its pledge to become carbon neutral by 2040. Amazon's so-called Climate Pledge Fund will invest in companies across a wide swath of industries that include transportation and logistics, energy, storage, manufacturing and food and agriculture. The announcement comes four months after CEO Jeff Bezos committed $10 billion of his own money to protect the environment and fight climate change. Slashing emissions will be challenging for Amazon. The company relies on its huge transportation network and data centers to deliver 10 billion items a year. Amazon has faced protests by environmental activists and pressure from even its own employees to take action on climate change. The company also said Tuesday it's now on course to have its facilities run on 100% renewable energy by 2025. That would put it five years ahead of its original schedule. Amazon shares rose in early trading Tuesday.