Jameela Jamil
(Picture: Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)Actress Jameela Jamil has announced her intention to boycott Twitter after it was bought by Elon Musk.
Musk secured a blockbuster $44 billion deal to buy the social media giant on Monday evening.
The deal will see the South African entrepreneur take the company off the New York Stock exchange and overhaul its policies on free speech.
Ah he got twitter. I would like this to be my what lies here as my last tweet. Just really *any* excuse to show pics of Barold. I fear this free speech bid is going to help this hell platform reach its final form of totally lawless hate, bigotry, and misogyny. Best of luck. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/fBDOuEYI3e
— Jameela Jamil 🌈 (@jameelajamil) April 25, 2022
As the takeover was announced, he said: “Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated.”
In reaction, Jamil told her followers she will leave the site over fears “this free speech bid is going to help this hell platform reach its final form of totally lawless hate, bigotry, and misogyny.”
“Ah he got twitter,” The Good Place star said.
“I would like this to be my what lies here as my last tweet. Just really *any* excuse to show pics of Barold,” she wrote, adding a series of photos of the dog she shares with her musician boyfriend James Blake.
In an earlier tweet, she joked: “One good thing about Elon buying twitter is that I will *FINALLY* leave and stop being a complete menace to society on here. So it’s win win for you all really.”
I’m not going anywhere. Should this place become more toxic, I pledge to strive even harder to lift up reason, science, compassion and the rule of law. The struggle against fascism, misinformation, and hate requires tough fighters. I hope you stay in the fight, right beside me.
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) April 25, 2022
Star Trek actor George Takei also voiced his concerns about the takeover but said he has no plans to quit the platform.
“I’m not going anywhere,” the 85-year-old tweeted.
“Should this place become more toxic, I pledge to strive even harder to lift up reason, science, compassion and the rule of law. The struggle against fascism, misinformation, and hate requires tough fighters.
“I hope you stay in the fight, right beside me.”
Founded in 2006 by Jack Dorsey, Twitter prided itself as a bastion of free speech.
However it came under heavy criticism for banning former US president Donald Trump in January 2021 and for trying to silence prominent Republicans.
Mr Musk has vowed to overhaul its content-moderation policies and promote what he described as free speech on the platform.
He also pledged to open source the algorithm and remove automated spam accounts, or “bots”, by “authenticating all humans”.
