Facebook is making it easier for users to find Black-owned businesses on its platform. The new feature is part of the company’s ongoing initiative, announced in June, that aims to aid Black communities.
Facebook is making it easier for users to find Black-owned businesses nearby
Admins for these pages will have the option to self-identify
Admins for these pages will have the option to self-identify
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Admins that manage a Facebook page for a Black-owned business will have the option to self-identify. There is no badge or label that will be displayed to represent these types of businesses on Facebook. Instead, this will allow a business to appear in the “Black-owned Businesses” subsection located in the “Business Nearby” tab. The tech giant is also allowing minority-owned businesses to identify their listings, too.
Image: Facebook
Other tech companies are also making it easier to find Black-owned businesses. In July, Google introduced a new badge to represent those specific businesses. Yelp also introduced a new tool, making it easier for customers to search for a Black-owned business.
Facebook also announced that it is allocating $40 million to grants provided to small Black businesses. Black-owned businesses with up to 50 employees can apply for this grant money, and the company will select 10,000 Black-owned businesses to award the funds. In June, Facebook pledged to invest $200 million to support Black-owned businesses and organizations — half of that fund was invested in small Black-owned businesses, creators, and nonprofits working with Black communities, and the remaining half was for suppliers.
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