If Selena Gomez taking Mark Zuckerberg to task was on your 2020 bingo card, you’re in luck. Gomez asked Zuckerberg to curb the spread of misinformation on Facebook and Instagram in a private message to him as well as to Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s chief operating officer. Gomez posted a screenshot of the message on her Instagram Story, tagging both Zuckerberg and Sandberg. “It’s been a while since we sat down,†Gomez’s message reads. “We have a serious problem. Facebook and Instagram are being used to spread hate, misinformation, racism, and bigotry. I am calling you both to help stop this. Please shut down groups and users focused on spreading hate speech, violence, and misinformation. Our future depends on it.â€
Gomez, who has 193 million followers on Instagram and 61 million on Facebook, posted the message as part of the “Stop Hate for Profit†campaign, which aims to stop the spread of misinformation and hate speech on social media ahead of the 2020 election. Kim Kardashian, Jamie Foxx, Kerry Washington, Sacha Baron Cohen, Mark Ruffalo, Dwyane Wade, and Katy Perry also participated in the campaign by blacking out their social media for one day on September 22. “This is an election year. We cannot afford to have misinformation about voting,†Gomez concluded. “There has to be fact-checking and accountability. Hope to hear back from you ASAP.†Facebook has not yet responded to Gomez’s message.