Digital guillotine: online revolution against the popular celebrities and fall down of social media influencers

How it all started 

BlockOut 2024 movement, also known as Digital Guillotine or digitine, has started after the Met Gala of 2024. One of the invited hosts by E! Magazine, influencer with 10 million followers Hailey Bailey, posted a Tik Tok video of her with the audio “Let them eat cake”. A phrase, which is commonly associated with Marie Antoinette, but in reality was prescribed to her by propagandists of the French Revolution, sparked the revolution of its own - an online one.

Combined with the hidden irony of the significance behind the theme “Garden of time”, inspired by the short story of James Ballard in 1962, and the pro-palestinian protests across the country, which also were at the time of the Met Gala, the influencer sparked controversy among fans and the online community. The premise being that celebrities and influencers have lost sense of problems in reality due to wealth and popularity.

Following the backlash against this TikTok influencer, social media users shifted their focus towards other celebrities, who participated in the Met Gala and stayed silent about the ongoing attacks on Gaza, starting the assembly of the Digital Guillotine. The growing number of videos naming celebrities like the Kardashian family, Hailey and Justin Bieber, Gal Gadot and others led to creation of lists and even websites dedicated to the BlockOut.

The main goal is to deplatform those supportive of Israel’s action and force the silent individuals to speak up and act, donate and take part. “Popularity is given to them by ordinary people, who do not have a million-number audience that can be used to at least spread awareness, yet they do not stay silent. Why not take it away from them?” shared users on social media. In less than 24 hours since the beginning of the BlockOut campaign, Kim Kardashian alone has lost over 3 million followers, with countless thousands of those who did not follow her social media prior to the campaign blocking her and reporting content.

At first the movement seemed to be a questionable method of digital activism. However, with social media largely relying on algorithms and views and advertisement revenue relying on them, the chain of blockings and unfollowing of the accounts in the millions lead not only in losses of followers, but ultimately to losing the financial and social standing as well. The math of BlockOut equates to simply understanding the popularity process: the less attention there is - the less money the person or group of people get; and the more controversy - the less relevance.

The movement of deplatforming celebrities is also addressing the issue of unjust social class differences. “Cooking the last box of macaroni to feed my kids as a single mom with no money left for groceries, yes, let them eat cake” shared a user on TikTok in support of the campaign. With the primary focus remaining bringing attention to Palestine it is important to note that the BlockOut 2024 movement is partially inspired, connected and often extends to a larger scale, which is the BDS movement.

Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions

The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement aims to end international support for Israel's oppression of Palestinians and to pressure Israel to comply with international law. Initiated in 2005 by over 170 Palestinian civil society organizations, including trade unions, student groups, women’s organizations, and refugee networks, BDS calls for boycotts, divestment, and sanctions.

The BDS movement provides a strategic framework for global action. By encouraging boycotts, divestments, and sanctions, BDS aims to pressure governments, corporations, and institutions to cease their complicity in Israel’s actions. This global campaign empowers individuals and organizations worldwide to contribute to the struggle for Palestinian rights and justice, highlighting the effectiveness of coordinated, non-violent resistance in achieving political and social change.

The movement targets various areas: academic, cultural, student solidarity, trade union solidarity, local governments and economic boycott. The last of the list is one of the most influential ones: protests on US campuses call for universities to cut ties with Israel and related companies, while in Muslim countries, consumers are boycotting products associated with Israel.

Due to the economic pressure, some brands, including Coca-Cola and Starbucks, have seen significant setbacks. Some Western brands have closed their stores or delayed their expansion, while local competitors such as Gourmet Cola and Cola Next are gaining market share.

Critics claim that BDS could hurt Palestinians by lowering employment possibilities and by impeding the communication and cooperation needed for a peaceful resolution. Advocates, however, point out that economic boycotts have historically been successful in bringing about political change. The movement has forced sanctions to sever military and economic connections with Israel and has encouraged government pension funds in Luxembourg, New Zealand, and Norway to divest from Israel. BDS places a strong emphasis on the moral obligation to use economic methods to advance justice and oppose involvement in oppression. The BDS website routinely shares the impact in numerical form.

The rolling eyes and rolling numbers

Despite the backlash and controversy, not all celebrities and influencers responded with an immediate supportive action, the artist Shygirl addressed her blocking: “I'm more than happy for people to get off my page and get outside where real life action matters even more than messages online. If blocking me helps that for you please do it.”

The argument of effectiveness of this movement is debatable, however presents an important question of the role of social media in activism and politics. Lisa V. Betty shared in an essay, which was written during the Black Lives Matter movement: “I think we must invest in artists that center human rights, not as a catchy anthem, but as an embodiment of their practice and artistry. This does not mean we should not push for Black celebrities and billionaires to do and be better, but it also means that we should lower our expectations and divest from the concept of celebrity all together.”

The debates around the effectiveness continue as does the number of people joining the BlockOut 2024 and Boycott, Divest, Sanctions movements.