Omnicom Shareholders Question if Money Spent on Ads Helped Spread Hate Speech and Misinformation

In the wake of the Capitol riot, brands and agencies are facing yet more questions on whether their advertising policies helped promote misinformation, reports AdAge,  and some come from their own shareholders.

The AdAge item adds that The New York Times reports that “shareholders of Home Depot and Omnicom have filed resolutions asking the companies to investigate whether the money they spent on ads may have helped spread hate speech and misinformation. The resolutions, which were filed in November but not made public until yesterday, are coordinated by Open MIC, a nonprofit group that works with shareholders at media and technology companies. In similar language they ask both Home Depot (which advertises heavily on Facebook) and Omnicom to investigate whether their advertising contributes to “the spread of hate speech, disinformation, white supremacist activity, or voter suppression efforts.”

“Other brands could soon face similar questions.”

More here.