Article content continued

Now, an anonymous online collective known as the Sleeping Giants have launched a social media campaign aimed at confronting companies whose ads appear on Rebel Media.

A spokesman for the group’s Canadian chapter told the National Post they are “definitely not” looking to shame these companies, just make them aware where their ads are popping up. “A lot them don’t know where their ads are showing up unless somebody tells them.”

The placement of online ads is largely automated, done through third parties and determined based on web users’ browsing histories. The Sleeping Giants are urging their followers to take screen shots of the ads appearing on Rebel Media and then post them to Twitter.

Since the campaign began last week, Hudson’s Bay, Whistler Blackcomb resort, Ancestry.com and other companies have taken steps to block their ads from appearing on the site.

Ezra Levant, Rebel Media’s founder, tweeted that Sleeping Giants’ supporters were trying to “whip up hatred” against his website, which is run by “harmonious Jews, blacks, gays, etc.”

In emails to the National Post, Levant called the Sleeping Giants a bunch of “bigots.”

“It’s no wonder that these cowards refuse to reveal their real names — they’re ashamed of themselves,” he wrote.

Levant, who describes Rebel Media as Canada’s “leading independent media company,” did not seem concerned the campaign could hurt his website financially. In the last week, he said, Rebel Media’s subscriber base has increased by 12,000.