• Times Online, Wednesday, August 8, 2007 10:46 AM

The British government has become the latest major UK advertiser to turn its back on Facebook. The Central Office of Information, which controls the government's $660 million annual budget, has told its buying agency to suspend buying ads on pages containing user-generated content. Jamie Galloway, COI's director of digital media, said these sites, which include Facebook, cannot provide "COI and i-level [its media buying agency] with the assurances our bookings require," which is code for staying away from unsuitable content.

However, Galloway said COI would not be staying away from social media forever; the federal organization will continue to review all media including social networks for its campaigns. The decision comes amid an advertiser exodus from Facebook by several major British brands. Vodafone, First Direct, Halifax Prudential, Virgin Media, the BBC and AA pulled ads for appearing alongside content for the right-wing British Nationalist Party.

In response to the boycott, Guy Phillipson, the chief executive of the Internet Advertising Bureau, the UK industry body, said that social networks should distinguish between "safe" and unsuitable pages for advertising or risk more advertisers joining the exodus. Consultant Henry Ellis said Facebook would likely raise rates in exchange for marketers having greater control over ads.

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