Dozens of celebrities are joining the Stop Hate for Profit campaign for a one-day posting boycott on Wednesday against Facebook and Instagram over the social media giant’s policies regarding hate speech and misinformation that has led to real-world violence.
Celebrities like Kim Kardashian West and Naomi Campbell, musicians Katy Perry, Demi Lovato, actors Olivia Wilde, Kerry Washington, Jaime Foxx, Leonardo DeCaprio, Ed Helms, Kate Hudson, Orlando Bloom, Isla Fisher, and more have joined the campaign led by the Anti-Defamation League, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and Color of Change.
Each celebrity included a caption along the lines of disavowing Facebook’s content moderation policies regarding hateful speech and misinformation, citing that social media has only divided the country and caused real-world violence, while urging their millions of followers to join in the one-day boycott of both Facebook and Instagram.
“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,” Kardashian West wrote on Instagram on Tuesday. “Misinformation shared on social media has a serious impact on our elections and undermines our democracy.”
It’s a surprising move by Kardashian West, who boasts millions of subscribers on Instagram. Other celebs voiced their support as well.
“The hate that is constantly being uploaded and posted can’t be ignored anymore,” wrote Lovato.
This isn’t the first time Stop Hate for Profit campaign has utilized public figures and businesses to advocate for its cause. In June, hundreds of brands including REI, Patagonia, Coca-Cola, Chipotle, and Verizon pledged to halt their advertising on Facebook platforms for the month of July. However, after a meeting with Facebook executives, including CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg, organizers and advertisers walked away convinced that Facebook wouldn’t change.
But, the boycott failed to make a significant dent in the social media company’s giant advertising revenue, with Facebook pulling in record profits.
However, by enlisting star power, Stop Hate for Profit may have a better chance of influencing the general public in its message — or at least getting in front of them with its cause.
Mega celebrities have an abundance of loyal followers — Kardashian-West (188 million), Perry (107 million), and Lovato (93 million) — who pay attention to what they post and engage in issues they care about.
