Kim Kardashian West, actor Mark Ruffalo and several other celebrities said Tuesday that they are “freezing” their Facebook and Instagram accounts for one day to protest the spread of hate speech and misinformation on those platforms.
The protest, which will happen on Wednesday, are part of the Stop Hate for Profit campaign, the coalition of civil rights groups that led a month-long advertising boycott against Facebook in July following the death of George Floyd. More than 1,200 companies joined that boycott, including big brands like Unilever, Verizon, Adidas and Ford.
That coalition announced Monday that it was launching “a coordinated week of action on Instagram this week,” including “a one-day freeze on Instagram sharing as well as a weeklong series of posts… calling out Facebook for its role in inciting violence, spreading racism and hate, and contributing to electoral disinformation.”
The protest first gained widespread attention with a tweet from Kardashian West.
“I love that I can connect directly with you through Instagram and Facebook, but I can’t sit by and stay silent while these platforms continue to allow the spreading of hate, propaganda and misinformation – created by groups to sow division and split America apart – only to take steps after people are killed,” she tweeted.
Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the protest.
Sacha Baron Cohen, an actor and comedian who has been an outspoken critic of social media companies, also tweeted his support of the protest.
“Facebook – stop spreading the hate, lies and conspiracies that inflame our societies!” he wrote.
This story is developing. Please check back for updates.
