Shares of Facebook and Twitter dropped sharply Friday after European giant Unilever, behind brands such as Ben & Jerry's ice cream and Dove soap, said it will halt U.S. advertising on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram through at least the end of the year.

Axar.az reports citing foreign media that in response, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the company will change its policies to prohibit hate speech in its advertisements.

Under the new policies, Facebook will ban ads that claim people from a specific race, ethnicity, nationality, caste, gender, sexual orientation or immigration origin are a threat to the physical safety or health of anyone else.