Pressure grows on website as major brands pull ads

Pressure is growing on one of the web’s most controversial social networking sites as a raft of major brands have pulled adverts — because of its lacklustre response tocyberbullying.

A number of Irish companies, such as the Northern Irish Tourist Board, Eircom, and Setanta Sports, were not even aware their adverts were on the site. Many had bought bundled web packages from media agencies where their adverts could end up anywhere on any number of websites. Eircom and Setanta Sports both halted their advertising yesterday.

It is believed, however, that a number of international supermarket chains as far back as last year had specifically asked media buyers to blacklist ask.fm in their media buy.