Starbucks has announced it will suspend advertising on some social media platforms in response to hate speech.

The coffee giant joins global brands including Coca-Cola, Diageo and Unilever which have recently removed advertising from social platforms.

A Starbucks spokesperson told the BBC the social media “pause” would not include YouTube, owned by Google.

“We believe in bringing communities together, both in person and online,” Starbucks said in a statement.

The brand said it would “have discussions internally and with media partners and civil rights organizations to stop the spread of hate speech”. But it will continue to post on social media without paid promotion, it said.

The announcement came after Coca-Cola called for “greater accountability” from social media firms.

Coca Cola said it would pause advertising on all social media platforms globally, while Unilever, owner of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, said it would halt Twitter, Facebook and Instagram advertising in the US “at least” through 2020.

The announcements follow controversy over Facebook’s approach to moderating content on its platform – seen by many as too hands off. It came after Facebook said on Friday it would begin to label potentially harmful or misleading posts which have been left up for their news value.

Founder Mark Zuckerberg said Facebook would also ban advertising containing claims “that people of a specific race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, caste, sexual orientation, gender identity or immigration status” are a threat to others.