Why Kim Kardashian is boycotting Instagram and Facebook

Dusty Baxter-Wright
·2 min read
Photo credit: Gary Gershoff - Getty Images
Photo credit: Gary Gershoff - Getty Images

From Cosmopolitan

Kim Kardashian is doing something you probably never thought she'd do: leaving Instagram (sort of).

As part of an organised social media boycott, the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star is joining a host of famous faces who are turning their backs on Facebook and Instagram today [Wednesday 16 September].

As part of the #StopHateforProfit campaign, which was organised by civil rights activists, the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jennifer Lawrence and Katy Perry will freeze their accounts for 24 hours. The protest is against the spread of "hate, propaganda and misinformation".

View this post on 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. Misinformation shared on social media has a serious impact on our elections and undermines our democracy. Please join me tomorrow when I will be “freezing” my Instagram and FB account to tell Facebook to #StopHateForProfit. Link in bio for more info on how to preserve truth.

A post shared by Kim Kardashian West (@kimkardashian) on Sep 15, 2020 at 11:50am PDT

"Misinformation shared on social media has a serious impact," Kim wrote in a statement on Tuesday. "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.

"Misinformation shared on social media has a serious impact on our elections and undermines our democracy. Please join me tomorrow when I will be 'freezing' my Instagram and FB account to tell Facebook to #StopHateForProfit."

The organisers of the #StopHateforProfit campaign, which launched in June, accuse Facebook and Instagram of not doing enough to stop hate speech and disinformation.

View this post on Instagram

Hey

A post shared by Kim Kardashian West (@kimkardashian) on Sep 15, 2020 at 11:11am PDT

Of the boycott, Katy added: "I can’t sit idly by while these platforms turn a blind eye to groups and posts spreading hateful disinformation and intentional confusion."

In June, Facebook said it would label potentially harmful or misleading posts that were purposefully left up for their news value. But the #StopHateforProfit campaign calls for more to be done, and as a result more than 90 companies paused advertising in support of its efforts.

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