This Wednesday, September 16, many personalities decided to freeze their Instagram accounts in order to protest against disinformation and hateful content on the social network.
Katy Perry, Jennifer Lawrence, Kim Kardashian, Sacha Baron Cohen, Naomi Campbell, Cara Delevingne, Mark Ruffalo … Many personalities have mobilized today to alert on the plagues of the social network Instagram. They have all responded to the call of a collective that brings together the anti-Semitism association Anti Defamation League and the organization for the defense of black rights in the United States NAACP. Last June, the latter launched a hashtag: #StopHateforProfit, in French "Let's stop hatred in the service of profit". The Anti defamation League said in a statement that the social network promoted "inciting violence, spreading racism, hatred, and contributing to disinformation relating to the electoral process." This movement had grown so large that many companies, 2,000 in total, decided to give up their advertising spots on Instagram.
As the presidential elections approached, the Facebook group, which owns Instagram, had therefore decided to react to this movement. Of the ten measures proposed, in the end, only one had been retained by Mark Zukerberg, CEO of Facebook. It was the appointment of a high-ranking leader with experience in the civil rights movement.
These measures are not sufficient, according to the collective. That is why another movement has arisen today and it has been followed by many stars. Kim Kardashian, for example, spoke on the subject and decided to support associations by not using Instagram of the day: "I love that I can connect with you directly through Instagram and Facebook, but I cannot remain silent as these platforms continue to allow the spread of hate, propaganda and disinformation." Actor Leonardo Dicaprio didn't mince his words either: "I use Instagram and Facebook, but I want it to be a force for good – not hate, violence and disinformation," she wrote on Twitter.