Twitter is a platform to make one's voice heard, but it lacks a strong policy against harassment. Actors and activists are therefore boycotting the social media platform for a day. The campaign, #WomenBoycottTwitter, kicked off at midnight in New York and will be on all of today, Friday (13 October).
It all started when Rose McGowan, one of the many who have accused film producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment, took the drastic step to partially suspend her Twitter account. Women from across the world started following her footstep.
McGowan had tweeted several times this week about Weinstein and about Ben Affleck. McGowan’s movement has led to an outrage on Twitter, voicing up against its inability to control abuse against women (noticed very often) on the platform.
Some of the tweets are:
Editor and consultant Heidi Moore was among the first to give nod to the idea.
Similarly, few A-listed celebrities have since joined in. Chrissy Teigen, John Cusack, Anna Paquin and McGowan’s Charmed co-star Alyssa Milano to quit Twitter in solidarity.
Men, including Mark Ruffalo, joined the league:
The "WomenBoycottTwitter" hashtag is trending when one user pointing out:
McGowan and other women have been harassed online. Hence, the boycott.
When this campaign came up unexpectedly, Twitter released a statement on Thursday explaining:
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Also Read: Law alone can’t deter sexual harassment at workplace
Feature Image Credit: Los Angeles Times
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