Idris Elba has come up with a possible solution to cyberbullying and racial rhetoric. On Sunday (July 18), the actor released a statement detailing changes that can be made to hold internet trolls accountable for their actions.
“People in the public eye get verified on social media,” Elba wrote on Instagram. “The process of verification requires them to prove their IDENTITY, so everyone knows WHO is speaking. SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES SHOULD MAKE THIS MANDATORY FOR ALL USERS.”
The current practice of allowing non verified accounts to exist on social media platforms, he said, was similar to “boarding a plane and not having to show I.D.”
“If cowards are being supported by a veil of privacy and secrecy, then social media is not a safe place,” Elba continued. “It’s an aeroplane that allows travelers to wear balaclavas. If cowards want to spout racial rhetoric, then say it with your name, not your username.”
It’s no secret that celebrities are often targeted by social media trolls. In most cases, stars find themselves either responding to groups of naysayers or individuals with characters as their profile pics.
Earlier this month, for example, Snoop Dogg’s daughter, Cori Broadus, took to Instagram to call out all critics who body shamed her for her size.
“Like I don’t know what I’m suppose to do my shit just big as fuck y’all be annoying on here,” she wrote in an IG story. “‘Oh she 2 big, oh she 2 skinny, oh she this, oh she that’….Embrace what you got and shut the fuck up.”
LeBron James also responded to general complaints about his new film, Space Jam: A New Legacy. On Saturday (July 17), after learning that the movie was No. 1 in the US, he took to Twitter and wrote, “Hi haters.”
Look below to see Idris Elba’s post.