Wetherspoon axes social media sites in backlash against online bullying
PUB chain JD Wetherspoon is calling time on its Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts in a backlash against social media.
The company linked yesterday’s move to online bullying and the “trolling” of MPs. Chairman Tim Martin added that society would be better off if people cut the amount of time they spend on social media.
His decision was also influenced by concerns regarding the “misuse of personal data” and “the nature of social media”.
Mr Martin said: “We are going against conventional wisdom that these platforms are a vital component of a successful business.
“It’s becoming increasingly obvious people spend too much time on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and struggle to control the compulsion.
“We will be maintaining our website and the Wetherspoon app and encourage customers to get in touch with us via our website or by speaking with the manager at their local pub. I don’t believe closing these accounts will affect our business.”
Last year Wetherspoon was forced to issue a denial after a spoof Twitter account falsely claimed the company was not allowing staff to wear poppies at work.
Mr Martin continued: “We were concerned that pub managers were being side-tracked from the real job of serving customers – 95 per cent [of pub managers] felt using social media was not helping the business.”
Wetherspoon has more than 44,000 Twitter followers and more than addictive 100,000 followers on Facebook. Mr Martin, a vocal champion of Britain leaving the European Union, took the decision following recent publicity over the use of social media to criticise MPs and others, especially religious or ethnic minorities.
Social media platforms have come under mounting criticism following news that millions of users’ personal information was gathered from Facebook by Cambridge Analytica, a political consultancy that worked on Donald Trump’s presidential election campaign.
The industry has also come under fire for not doing enough to curb hate speech or take down malicious content.
When asked if Wetherspoon’s move could start a trend, Mr Martin said he hoped not. “Currently, we’ve got a massive commercial advantage because everyone else is wasting hours of their time,” he said.
The controversial move affects the company’s head office and almost 900 pubs in Britain and Ireland.
In February, Anglo-Dutch consumer goods giant Unilever threatened to pull all ads from Facebook and Google if they did not do enough to police extremist and illegal content.