Viber cuts all ties with Facebook

The messaging app Viber is cutting all ties with Facebook, as part of a boycott by the company’s commercial partners.

According to The Guardian, the boycott is due to “Facebook’s refusal to take action against posts from Donald Trump, which critics said incited violence.” Viber’s chief executive Djamel Agaoua said that the company’s decision was due to Facebook’s “poor judgment in understanding its role in today’s world.”

As of Wednesday, June 24, Viber has pulled out all its advertising from Facebook and Instagram. After this, they’ve started to remove all Facebook-related technology from Viber’s apps – including Giphy.

“It’s something that will hurt some of our users [who] like to use the Facebook Connect solutions to log in. It’s hurt some of our marketing strategies, because they won’t be able to use Facebook advertising to promote their campaigns. It’s not an easy decision. It’s not going to kill Viber, but it hurts,” Agaoua said.

“We are not the arbiters of truth, but the truth is some people are suffering from the proliferation of violent content and companies must take a clear stand.”

Via The Guardian