Celebrities face digital 'blockout' over silence on Gaza war

By Muhammed Yasin Gungor

ISTANBUL (AA) - A movement known as "Blockout 2024" has gained traction on social media, urging users to block the accounts of celebrities who have remained silent on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

People worldwide are expressing frustration with celebrities for not being aware of and not using their influence to draw attention to the dire situation in Gaza. According to a TikToker involved in the movement, the goal is to "stop certain streams of income and popularity" of celebrities.

Organized social media users are sharing lists of celebrities to block, leading to significant follower losses for several public figures on Instagram and other platforms, according to Social Blade, a US-based social media analytics website.

Selena Gomez, actress and singer, lost one million followers on Instagram and 100,000 on X.

Zendaya, actress and singer, lost 153,000 followers on Instagram and 40,000 on X.

Kim Kardashian, reality TV star, businesswoman, and social media influencer, lost 780,000 followers on Instagram.

Kylie Jenner, reality TV star and businesswoman, lost 540,000 followers on Instagram and 53,000 on X.

Billie Eilish, singer-songwriter, lost 1.1 million followers on Instagram.

Beyonce, an internationally acclaimed singer, songwriter, and actress, lost 689,000 followers on Instagram.

Rihanna, singer and actress, lost 110,000 followers on X.

The movement was sparked with a TikTok video from influencer Haley Kalil at the Met Gala on May 7, where she lip-synced to the phrase "Let them eat cake." This phrase draws parallels to the French Revolution when Queen Marie Antoinette's purported indifference to the suffering of the impoverished became symbolic.

With more than seven months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine, Kalil's video garnered backlash in social media. A TikTok user shared a video, stating: “It’s time for the people to conduct 'digital guillotine' to all the celebrities who are not using their resources to help those in dire need.”

More than 35,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 78,000 others injured in a brutal Israeli onslaught on the Gaza Strip since an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7 last year that killed nearly 1,200 people.