Recode Decode: Sleeping Giants founder Matt Rivitz

Decoder with Nilay Patel · with Matt Rivitz · September 3, 2018 · 51 min

Summary

Matt Rivitz, founder of Sleeping Giants, shares how he accidentally built an international campaign to defund online bigotry by targeting advertisers on platforms hosting hateful content. This episode provides a unique perspective on the power of collective action in influencing online advertising ecosystems and holding platforms accountable. Ecommerce operators can learn about the impact of ad placement and brand safety in the broader digital landscape.

Key takeaways

• Advertising dollars are the oxygen for hateful content: Understand that your ad placements can inadvertently fund problematic content, making brand safety and placement scrutiny paramount.
• Grassroots movements can exert significant pressure: Even without formal boycotts, organized public awareness campaigns can influence advertisers to withdraw from platforms or content deemed undesirable, impacting their revenue streams.
• Focus on the

Themes

Topics covered

Episode description

Matt Rivitz, the formerly anonymous founder of the popular Twitter account Sleeping Giants, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about how he accidentally started an international campaign against advertising-supported bigotry online. In this episode:01:54 - “My white-hot hated for Steve Bannon”05:01 - The advertising angle and making @slpng_giants11:39 - Teaming up with Nandini Jammi14:58 - The "moment I think when we knew that we were on to something much bigger”18:43 - “It was never about politics”21:05 - Moving on to Bill O’Reilly and Fox24:52 - Why Sleeping Giants doesn’t boycott and doesn’t make demands27:49 - Laura Ingraham and Robert Mercer31:13 - Facebook, Google and the “free speech argument”39:47 - Where does Sleeping Giants go next?42:34 - "We’re all determined not to take any money for this.”45:47 - How Rivitz got unmasked49:50 - Going beyond Twitter and being the “conscience of social media" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Frequently asked about this episode

What does this episode say about brand & content?

Advertising dollars are the oxygen for hateful content: Understand that your ad placements can inadvertently fund problematic content, making brand safety and placement scrutiny paramount.

What does this episode say about founder & leadership?

Grassroots movements can exert significant pressure: Even without formal boycotts, organized public awareness campaigns can influence advertisers to withdraw from platforms or content deemed undesirable, impacting their revenue streams.

What does this episode say about brand & content?

Focus on the

Listen

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