Jim Carrey wants you to boycott Facebook over Russian meddling: 'No wall is going to protect us'

Jim Carrey is calling on people to delete their Facebook accounts and dump their stocks in the company claiming the social media giant profited from Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. The Liar, Liar star said on Tuesday (6 January) he was deleting his own account, selling his shares and asked all "other investors who care about our future to do the same".

"I'm dumping my @facebook stock and deleting my page because @facebook profited from Russian interference in our elections and they're still not doing enough to stop it," Carrey tweeted. "I encourage all other investors who care about our future to do the same. #unfriendfacebook"

He did not mention how many Facebook shares he owned or sold.

In a statement to CNBC, Carrey said "what the world needs right now is capitalism with a conscience".

"We must encourage more oversight by the owners of these social media platforms," Jim Carrey said in a statement to CNBC. "This easy access has to be more responsibly handled. What we need now are activist investors to send a message that responsible oversight is needed."

Carrey's boycott campaign comes as Facebook faces intense scrutiny and criticism over its handling of political ads during the 2016 election.

After concerns were first raised that fake news on Facebook may have helped sway the 2016 election in Donald Trump's favour, CEO Mark Zuckerberg initially dismissed the notion as a "pretty crazy idea".

Since then, the company has continued to face political heat for doing little to curb the spread of propaganda, hoaxes and divisive content on its site posted by Kremlin-linked operatives.

Last year, Facebook revealed that it sold about $100,000 worth of politically-divisive ads to "inauthentic accounts" created by the Kremlin-linked troll farm Internet Research Agency. These ads covered a wide range of hot button issues including Islamaphobia, immigration, LGBTQ rights, race relations and more.

In December, Facebook launched a tool allowing its users to see if they "liked" any dubious content posted by these Russian-linked accounts.

Congressional lawmakers have continued to grill Facebook, along with Twitter and Google, over the roles their platforms played in Russia's misinformation campaign in the months leading up to the election.

US intelligence agencies concluded early last year that Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered a complex influence campaign to hurt Hillary Clinton's campaign, undermine American democracy and help Trump win the election. Russia has repeatedly dismissed allegations of meddling in the 2016 election.

Over the past few months, Facebook has introduced multiple measures to address fake news and suspicious content on its site. However, the company told Congress last month that it could do prove or disprove collusion between Trump's campaign and Russians who may have used its site to influence the election.

"For a long time America enjoyed a geographical advantage in the world with oceans on both sides to protect it," Carrey said. "Now, social media has created cyber-bridges over which those who do not have our best interest in mind can cross and we are allowing it. No wall is going to protect us from that."

IBTimes UK has reached out to Facebook for further comment.