A Change.org petition that is calling on Instagram to de-platform influencers that are sprouting their anti-vax views has gone viral.
The petition titled, Deplatform Anti-Vaxx Influencers – Anna Rose Richards and Taylor Winterstein. was created by actress Sarah Bartolo and has already amassed over 7 thousand signatures in less than three days.
Bartolo has been using her own Instagram to play a character Venus GirlBoss Moon, that mocks anti-vaxxers. (Main photo)
https://www.instagram.com/p/CSbfsOPHQpM/
However, Bartolo became frustrated with the lack of action Instagram was taking against influencers spreading misinformation and created the petition aiming to hold Instagram accountable for allowing its platform to house and share these views
The petition reads: “These ‘wellness influencers’ are dangerous and selfish.
“Their messaging is rooted in racism, ableism and fatphobia and their actions are putting so many people in our community at risk including children, the elderly, immunocompromised people, disabled folks and health care workers.
“They financially profit from the mistrust and falsehoods they share by increasing their audience and secure brand endorsements as they weaponise mental health and push their damaging rhetoric to tens of thousands of followers.
“They are anti-science and share information connected to far-right extremist movements veiled by wellness and spirituality messages.”
Both Richards (@annarose_co) and Winterstein (tays_way_) have considerable followings on Instagram and both openly shared their anti-vax views on the social media platform.
Most recently Richards has posted a video on her profile where she shares that she believes vaccines are killing people.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CS8vQQUl-29/
Similarly, Winterstein Instagram seems completely dedicated to her sharing her unverified COVID-19 vaccination theories, including calling out Lisa Wilkinson for getting the jab!
https://www.instagram.com/p/CS_irJcnQ3p/
While Instagram has taken some measures like putting a warning on posts that these claims are false, it hasn’t taken them down.
Bartolo told B&T, “I wasn’t sure how this petition was going to be received and deliberated on starting it for a while. But the response has been overwhelmingly positive.
“I know that this problem isn’t just limited to these two influencers. I also had Leila Stead on the petition but she was able to remove her name, which I really don’t understand how that happened and am waiting to hear back from change.org.”
Meanwhile, the petition continues to rack up signatures.
