Stock Price Falls After Snapchat Posts Ad Referencing Domestic Violence

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An ad for a Snapchat game asking Snapchat users whether they would rather “slap Rihanna” or “punch Chris Brown” drew criticism from Rihanna on another social media outlet and was soon followed by a 4 percent drop in the stock price for Snap Inc., the parent company of Snapchat.

On Instagram, the popstar released a statement: “Now SNAPCHAT I know you already know you ain’t my fav app out there! But I’m just trying to figure out what the point was with this mess! I’d love to call it ignorance but I know you ain’t that dumb! You spent money to animate something that would intentionally bring shame to DV victims and made a joke of it!!! This isn’t about my personal feelings, cause I don’t have much of them…but all the women, children and men that have been victims of DV in the past and especially the ones who haven’t made it out yet ….you let us down! Shame on you. Thow the whole app-oligy away.”

The ad, for a Snapchat game called “Would You Rather,” referenced a 2009 incident in which Brown was charged felony assault for beating Rihanna. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years of probation.

“This advertisement is disgusting and never should have appeared on our service,” a Snapchat spokesperson told the New York Times. “We are so sorry we made the terrible mistake of allowing it through our review process. We are investigating how that happened so that we can make sure it never happens again.”

Technology reporter Eli Horowitz can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @coachhorowitz13 for the latest in L.A. tech news.

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