Facebook has upped its response to the coronavirus over the last couple of days. Aside from fighting misinformation, banning ads promoting false coronavirus “cures,” and offering WHO free advertising spaces, Facebook has pledged to give small businesses $100 million in financial assistance.
The financial aid will arrive in the form of cash grants and Facebook ad credits. The aid’s intent is to help pay employees who are unable to work, cover rent and overhead costs, and help small businesses reach out to consumers. Applications for grants and ad credits are currently closed and will open up over the next few weeks.
Interested businesses can sign up for updates. Assistance can also be found at Facebook’s business resource hub, which is open for everyone. The resource hub gives businesses advice and ideas for dealing with the effects of the coronavirus outbreak.
Facebook has also stated it plans to pay its employees $1,000 bonuses, though it’s not clear if the bonus applies to contractors, who have all been sent home in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. This has led to ad review delays, as the Ad Review team is almost entirely made up of contractors.
