Ben & Jerry's controversies
Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.
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2025
Founders' allegations of censorship and governance conflict
Reports described criticism by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield that Unilever or the ice-cream business was restricting the brand's social and political expression. The reporting included a proposed peace-related flavor connected with Gaza and renewed calls for greater independence; the claims and negotiations remained contested.
2022
Conflict between the independent board and Unilever
Ben & Jerry's independent board pursued legal action alleging that Unilever's handling of the Israeli business conflicted with the brand's social mission and governance arrangements. The dispute contributed to an agreement allowing the Israeli operation to continue independently.
2021
Dispute over sales in Israeli settlements
The global brand announced that it would stop selling products in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, describing the policy as connected to its stated values. The decision prompted political condemnation, boycott threats, legal disputes, and conflict with the Israeli licensee and with Unilever's broader corporate interests.
2021
Unilever tells Jewish organizations it does not support the boycott movement
Company response
Unilever chief executive Alan Jope wrote to major Jewish organizations that week, saying the company did not support the boycott movement and repudiated discrimination and intolerance.
Company response
Clarification — Unilever
Fearing a backlash in the US, Unilever's biggest market, Jope wrote to major Jewish organisations this week making it clear that his company 'does not support' the boycott movement.
Source excerpt
Fearing a backlash in the US, Unilever's biggest market, Jope wrote to major Jewish organisations this week making it clear that his company 'does not support' the boycott movement.
He added the company 'repudiates unequivocally any forms of discrimination or intolerance'.
2021
Ben & Jerry's faces backlash over planned West Bank settlement sales halt
Public backlash
Ben & Jerry's faced criticism from American supporters of Israel after announcing it would no longer sell its products in Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a boycott, and some supermarkets said they would stop carrying the brand. Critics described the decision as anti-Semitic or discriminatory; the article reports these as accusations, not findings.
Source excerpt
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced his own boycott of Ben & Jerry’s, telling reporters in City Hall on Tuesday that he ‘won’t be eating Cherry Garcia for a while.’
American supporters of Israel slammed Ben & Jerry’s as anti-Semitic on Monday after the Vermont-based ice cream maker announced it would no longer sell its products in Jewish settlements on the occupied West Bank.
2020
Ben & Jerry's pauses Facebook advertising amid boycott
Public backlash
In June 2020, amid calls for a social-media advertising boycott, Unilever announced that it would pause advertising for the rest of the year. Ben & Jerry's, Patagonia and The North Face also said they would pause Facebook advertising. The campaign pressed Facebook to address hate speech and other harmful content. Ben & Jerry's, a Unilever brand, was among the companies that joined the pause in advertising on the platform.
Stated objective. Press social-media platforms to address hate speech and other harmful content.
Source excerpt
联合利华考虑到11月举行美国总统大选，甚至宣布在今年之内暂停投放广告。
联合利华旗下品牌、冰激淋制造商Ben & Jerry's和服装公司Patagonia、North Face都成为最初一批的响应者，表示将暂停在Facebook上发布广告。
越来越多的商业巨头对社交平台Facebook（脸书）和Twitter（推特）施加压力，要求其停止仇恨评论、宣传、垃圾邮件和假新闻。