Ahead of one of America’s most significant elections in November, Stop Hate For Profit asked social media users to join their Week of Action this week by posting messages online that discuss the ways in which Facebook is threatening democracy in our society.
This follows on from Tuesday’s 24 hour Instagram freeze.
It is not just individual celebrities who have demonstrated their support, but hundreds of brands, too. Starbucks, Lego, Coca-Cola and Adidas are amongst the many global companies who have publicly supported the campaign. The fashion industry have also joined in with denim brand Levi’s pausing ads on Facebook and Instagram.
Kim Kardashian is the latest celebrity to support the #StopHateForProfit campaign. Joining the likes of Leonardo Dicaprio, Katy Perry and Sacha Baron Cohen in a 24 hour Instagram ‘Freeze’, the reality star pledged her support to the global campaign that aims to stop social media platforms spreading hateful messages and damaging misinformation.
“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,” Kim posted on several of her social media channels. “Misinformation shared on social media has a serious impact on our elections and undermines our democracy. ”
The Stop Hate For Profit campaign was started by several US civil rights and lobbying groups after George Floyd’s death sparked widespread protests against racial discrimination. Their aim is to ensure social media giants like Facebook and Instagram, which are both owned by Facebook, are held accountable for the spread of “hate, bigotry, racism, antisemitism, and disinformation” on their platforms.
A particular area of concern is the lies and deception told by prominent politicians in political ads.
This is not the first time Facebook has been under scrutiny for spreading hateful messaging. Described by Sacha Baron Cohen as “the greatest propaganda machine in history”, Mark Zuckerberg stated in June that adverts claiming “that people of a specific race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, caste, sexual orientation, gender identity or immigration status” would be banned.
