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Several high-profile companies have withdrawn their advertising from Facebook after the ads appeared alongside a profile of the British National Party.
First Direct, Vodafone, Virgin Media and the AA have all asked Facebook that their ads be removed.
Vodafone told New Media Age it was pulling its ads because it did not support political parties and wanted to "avoid misunderstandings".
First Direct, the bank, said its advertising decisions had to match its "values and identity", while Virgin Media, the mobile operator, said "we want to advertise on social networks but we have to protect out brand." The AA said it had "strict procedures in place with its agency to ensure it does not advertise on inappropriate sites."
Companies have no control over which profiles their adverts will appear next to when they buy space on Facebook.
Justin Pearse, the editor of New Media Age, which first reported that Vodafone's ads were appearing next to the BNP profile earlier this week, said that some of the UK's "favourite brands" had been "unwittingly associated with a highly controversial political cause."
A spokesman for for the BNP told the BBC that there was no reason for advertisers to avoid the party. "There's nothing wrong with the BNP," he said. "Unfortunately the media have created a bogeyman and really the fault lies with the media, who for some reason have villified the BNP, and it has scared these people off."
This afternoon, the British National Party profile was showing ads for Ultra-lase, a laser treatment for eyes.
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Oh dear! The world is full of censors and would-be censors. Maybe the BNP might be worth a look if these "controllers" would deprive them of their right to be seen and heard.
Roger Cole, Carson City, Nevada.
How does reducing immigration equal racism? If Britain was white for X number of centuries, why is it racist to try and keep it that way? While immigration and movements of peoples are bound to happen, it seems to me that in the last 40 years the level of immigration to UK/France has become a free-for-all. Only societies/groups that are sick in the head voluntarily accept a dilution of their numbers/influence in their own country, both in the masses and in their elites. It's not a question of hating others or of being a racist; it's a question of preserving those things in Britain that make Britain, well, British. That includes language, culture, traditions, and also the racial/ethnic makeup of its people. BTW I'm not British but I've lived all my life in very mixed societies (South Africa, America, Brazil) and all have enormous racial problems. Multiculturalism is an enormous lie, in my experience - it creates far more problems than benefits.
Dylan, New York,
The BNP is a perfectly legitimate party - they only got 5% less than the Tories at a recent by-election - so perhaps these companies are just trying to suck up to the Labour Party for special favours?
rhory fraser, London,
You're all fools. The BNP is based on a fundamentally racist ideal. Their claims of immigration being an incredible problem are completely ridiculous. Did you know that only 0.03% of the population of the UK are asylum seekers? Did you know that ethnic minorities are involved in no more crime than anyone else, but are MORE likely to be targeted as victims of crime?
The BNP aren't the only racists trying to claim they aren't racists. The Ku Klux Klan are involved in monumental efforts to appeal to the public as seperatists and not racists, holding rallies in support of seperate living and eschewing the previous stances in favour of more socially acceptable policies. The BNP are no different, a wolf in sheeps clothing, and their supporters either know it and don't care, or are being fooled wholesale.
Mathew, Stockport, England
I've yet to hear this hysteria about ads next to any Sinn Fein sympathising profiles. You really need to get life into context. What is it with this country?
John, Dundalk,
I'm not surprised at all. What kind of company that spends tens of millions on its public image and reputation would want its name associated with the BNP?
In fact who would want their name associated with the BNP full stop?
A case of another party that uses 'Nationalism' as a title for whatever pathetically ignorant policies that blame everything on immigration they have. Much like the 'National' Socialist Party, everyone remembers them...The Nazis!
Chris, Lancs, UK
Its the companies on the Hoff appreciation groups that should be ashamed :)
Jamie, Halifax, West Yorkshire
If New Labour (an anti-socialist, nanny state, warmonger party), or the present "trendy Conservatives" had a site on facebook I don't think much would have been said by the media and advertiser's would have been quite happy with the status quo. The fact that these companies have boycotted the site because of a party that seems to have a lot more common sense than the parties presently in government has done more to put me off buying their products rather than encouraging me .
Matthew, Machynlleth, Wales