OOH Needs a Unified System to Filter Out Hate

Prioritize the safeguarding of OOH

A few weeks ago, OOH Today found out that White Supremacist groups had infiltrated billboards in Michigan with hate speech. Redditors continuously raised awareness of this situation through various posts. News outlets and the OOH industry largely remained silent.

We were the first to post about this story, and a few days later, the local press posted the story. This was just before the OAAA Conference, but the industry remained silent. The Anti-Defamation League mentioned the billboards in a post on how Generative AI is being used to share hate speech. But at the OOH Media Conference, though there were sidebars and private conversations on the matter, the racist billboards, how to prevent them, and what this means for the industry were not mentioned.

Simone Davis, CEO and founder of soon-to-launch Mixed Company Media Group, an OOH strategy agency, wants this conversation to happen. She is a founding member of OOH United and Executive Boardmember of ThinkNW. Davis had this to share:

“A few weeks ago, #DOOH was hacked by white supremacists posting hateful, racist images and language on three Digital Billboards in Michigan. The claim is that the hate group was able to circumvent automated filters. While social shares prompted immediate removal, it would be wrong to underestimate the harm that was done in that brief time. Some may see this as an isolated incident involving “only” 3 units in a smaller market. However, as we know, hate has no boundaries, and this type of incident has the potential to be repeated at scale.

“A best practice in #OOH involves multiple layers of human oversight, including vendor approval for creative. It’s perplexing to imagine how this hateful and offensive material slipped through unnoticed. As an industry, one of our primary selling points is around brand safety and the protections we offer as a media channel. With decades of experience in this space, it makes me wonder why we are not having more intentional conversations about our accountability and, real talk…our complicity. Equally concerning for me is the silence that followed from the OOH community.

“How do we evolve to being a more inclusive industry when we can’t even speak openly of our own shortcomings?”

“After OOH TODAY brought attention to the issue, I sat still anticipating hearing from the normally vocal industry heavyweights and the discourse that was sure to follow. Nope. I thought for sure I’d see those that denounce hate/bias for their own shiny do-gooder badge to speak out boldly. Nope. The few comments that were shared mostly spoke to it being a victory for the “bad” folks at the hands of automation.

“How do we evolve to being a more inclusive industry when we can’t even speak openly of our own shortcomings? At a recent OOH conference, DOOH, #pDOOH and #AI were heavily focused on topics. I thought for sure this would have been an ideal opportunity to prompt a candid conversation around how we – as an industry – should address, problem-solve, and prevent repeating what happened in Michigan.

“With all the energy we pour into selling “the power of OOH” shouldn’t we also prioritize the safeguarding of it? How can we ensure brand safety without a unified system to filter out hate? As an industry, the hard truth is that not every voice is represented nor welcomed at the table. Attempts to silence, soften, and erase voices for change hinder open dialogue (iykyk). We have the obligation to do better. Time to walk the talk folks!

“I am committed to shifting this narrative through cultivating an OOH community ready to drive change and embrace diverse perspectives! There is more than enough room to incorporate an array of perspectives and voices as part of our story. This must be made a priority if we want OOH to remain a relevant option for brands – our clients – that are tapping into authentic relationships and connections with consumers. Let’s keep this conversation going! Reach out if you want to join in. #thecultureofooh ”

What are your thoughts? How should we, as an industry, address, problem-solve, and prevent repeating what happened in Michigan? Let us know in the comments below or join the conversation on Linkedin. 

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