A new viral movement is putting A-list celebrities on the ‘digital guillotine’ for their silence on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Experts suggest the movement, dubbed #Blockout2024, could have significant implications for advertisers on social media. Thousands of social media users have blocked celebrities and influencers in the past month / Credit: Adobe Stock Following the Met Gala, pro-Palestine activists launched #Blockout2024, a social media campaign catalyzed by TikToker @ladyfromtheoutside.
The movement targets the social media accounts of celebrities and influencers, labeling this tactic the the ‘digital guillotine,’ or ‘digitine.’ Thousands of users have blocked celebrities such as Kim Kardashian, Zendaya and Justin Bieber on TikTok and Instagram in a bid to diminish their engagement and ad revenue. In the movement’s first video, @ladyfromtheoutside declared: “It’s time to block all the celebrities, influencers and wealthy socialites who are not using their resources to help those in dire need.
We gave them their platforms. It’s time to take it back.” The movement emerges just months after pro-Palestine activists launched a boycott of major brands for their ties to Israel .
Bailey Bellingy, a behavioral analyst at consumer insight agency Canvas8, views #Blockout2024 as part of a broader trend where individuals are distancing themselves from celebrities and gravitating towards smaller communities that align with their values. This trend was ex.