Kim Kardashian to freeze Facebook and Instagram accounts over spread of misinformation and hate speech

Brendan Morrow
·2 min read

Kim Kardashian West is calling out Facebook.

Kardashian West on Tuesday said she will be freezing her Facebook and Instagram accounts for a day in protest of the company's handling of hate speech and misinformation.

"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 wrote, asking her nearly 190 million Instagram followers to join her by freezing their accounts on Wednesday.

This comes as part of the "Stop Hate for Profit" campaign against Facebook, which spawned an advertiser boycott earlier this year. Kardashian West is one of a number of celebrities who plan to freeze their accounts in protest of Facebook on Wednesday, joining Katy Perry, Jennifer Lawrence, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Mark Ruffalo, per The Hill.

Facebook has drawn heavy criticism for a number of its policies, including its decision to allow politicians to run ads with false claims. The company recently announced a series of changes that will be implemented ahead of the 2020 presidential election, with plans to not accept new political ads in the week prior to the election. Facebook will also place a label on posts by candidates who attempt to declare victory prematurely. The Stop Hate for Profit campaign says, however, that Facebook's "unchecked and vague 'changes' are falling dangerously short of what is necessary to protect our democracy."

In her post on Tuesday, Kardashian West wrote that "misinformation shared on social media has a serious impact on our elections and undermines our democracy," also asking followers to visit the Stop Hate for Profit website for more information "on how to preserve truth."

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