Meta has profited from more than 60 ads using the homophonic term ‘groomers’ since December

According to a new report from Media Matters for America, Facebook and Instagram’s parent company, Meta, has profited from more than 60 ads that slander anti-LGBTQ “groomers” since December.

Analysis comes just a few months after progress media Non-profit watchdog has identified more than 150 ads across companyplatform depicts LGBTQ people as “groomers”—a dangerous term used in some conservative groups to misclassify members of the LGBTQ community as sexual predators.

Following last year’s report, Meta removed 47 ads that used the term, which led to an untrue and exposed story depicting LGBTQ people seeking to “convert” heterosexual and transgender children. gender. But according to the latest analysis by Media Matters, the company has allowed “63 other ads with similar anti-LGBTQ language on its platforms.”

The use of the inciting term “groomer” has exploded on social media in recent months, is linked to a rise in anti-LGBTQ rhetoric in the United States, according to the Human Rights Campaign.

It also coincided with a record-breaking year of anti-LGBTQ legislation introduced by conservative lawmakers around the country.

In July, LGBTQ media advocacy group GLAAD found that all five major social media platforms received a negative score for LGBTQ user safety in the Media Safety Index. social media (SMSI), an analysis of the safety of LGBTQ users on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and TikTok.

Meta-owned platforms Instagram and Facebook received scores of 48 and 46 on a 100-point scale, respectively.

Part of the organization’s mission involves partnering with social media companies and providing tools to better combat anti-LGBTQ hate speech. According to new Media Matters data, those recommendations and even the companies’ own policies are not always followed.

A GLAAD spokesperson said: “Meta’s willingness and will to profit from ads that falsely and maliciously slander LGBTQ people pose a threat to children—a violation of the hate speech policy. their own enemies—will embarrass and anger LGBTQ employees and Meta allies.” Instant news.

“Facebook and Instagram ads and posts from hateful accounts with high followings that promote this dangerous and baseless conspiracy theory are inciting anti-LGBTQ violence and leading to harm in the world. real to our community, including attacks on drag events and Pride celebrations,” the spokesperson added. “Our community needs LGBTQ employees and allies inside Meta to speak out before more violence and hatred occurs.”

Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but last year a company spokesperson told the Daily News that both Instagram and Facebook “ban violent or dehumanizing content directed at people who identify is LGBTQ+.”

According to the company’s advertising standards, ads running on its platform “must not contain a claim that a person or group of people is a threat to the physical safety, health or survival of others on the basis of … sexual orientation, caste, gender, gender [or] gender identity.”

However, despite its own rules and reviews, the company has allowed 63 ads with similar anti-LGBTQ language to run on its platform since late last year.

Citing data from the Dewey Square Adwatch toolkit, Media Matters found that the ad earned nearly 1 million impressions and Meta earned at least $6,400 in revenue.

Some of them come from right-wing candidates, including Eric Deters, a former Republican attorney and Kentucky gubernatorial candidate who ran at least two ads saying he “didn’t believe it.” into grooming and sexualization;” and organizations, including the Texas Scorecard, published a video accusing the queens of drag as hairdressers who are “trying to recruit this younger generation.”

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