Labour demands advertisers work to cut off funds for terror sites

ADVERTISERS must cut off funding for Islamist terror sites and other “hate” platforms by blocking adverts on them, Labour will demand today.

Lucy Powell, the shadow culture secretary, will argue in a speech that abusers should not be able to profit from the misery they cause.

She will talk about the power of communication to shape the way we live, work and play, arguing that the advertising industry is a leader in driving behaviour change. Labour will call on the sector to use its power to cut off funds which “monetise hate and disinformation online”.

“Abusers and cranks online should not be able to profit from the misery they cause, yet online platforms allow them to monetise their content, permitting disinformation and hate to run rife,” Ms Powell will say.

“Ad money contributes to this business model, with a total lack of transparency damaging brands, and undermining our democracy and society. In the spirit of Labour’s new partnership with business, I want to work with you to cut off the funds that allow these doom-merchants to thrive.”

In 2021, Newsguard estimated that UK brands unwittingly spend around £110million a year advertising on misinformation sites.