Jim Carrey calls for Facebook boycott over Russia election interference

A Facebook boycott was the rallying cry Tuesday from comedian Jim Carrey, who used one social-media giant to call for a campaign against another.

“I’m dumping my @facebook stock and deleting my page because @facebook profited from Russian interference in our elections and they’re still not doing enough to stop it,” the comedian wrote on Twitter.

I’m dumping my @facebook stock and deleting my page because @facebook profited from Russian interference in our elections and they’re still not doing enough to stop it. I encourage all other investors who care about our future to do the same. #unfriendfacebook pic.twitter.com/KHWgZzhhmp

— Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) February 6, 2018

Mr. Carrey used the hashtag “#unfriendfacebook” and attached a drawing giving “Fakebook” a thumbs-down.

Facebook acknowledged last year that content posted by accounts linked to the Kremlin and attempting to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election may have been seen by 126 million people.

Mr. Carrey’s tweet went farther than his personal actions in dumping his Facebook stock and personal page, though.

Mr. Carrey’s Facebook page (“Jim Carrey Is Here”) was still active at 4:50 p.m. EST, but his main art was the same “Fakebook” portrait and the top post was identical to his boycott calls on Twitter.

Carrey issued a statement on his Facebook boycott Tuesday evening.

“For a long time America enjoyed a geographical advantage in the world with oceans on both sides to protect it. Now, social media has created cyber-bridges over which those who do not have our best interest in mind can cross and we are allowing it. No wall is going to protect us from that,” he said. “We must encourage more oversight by the owners of these social media platforms. This easy access has to be more responsibly handled. What we need now are activist investors to send a message that responsible oversight is needed. What the world needs now is capitalism with a conscience.”