Idris Elba Pitches Verifying All Social Media Users

Idris Elba has advice for social media companies: start verifying all users so racists have to say remarks with their chest instead of hiding their hand.

Source: ANGELA WEISS / Getty

Anyone who uses social media knows that people are bolder on social media than they would be if they were in your face. Some people go even further and make fake accounts to say the most hateful things to regular people. Just imagine how bad it can be for celebrities over the smallest things.

Just in the past week, we witnessed an entire soccer team’s fanbase become racist because one of their players missed a point attempt. Idris Elba is fed up with this keyboard bravery, and he has a suggestion on how to eliminate so much hate going on.

Idris Elba believes that everyone deserves to have that coveted blue check and shared his thoughts on social media pushing for universal verification.

“People in the public eye get verified on social media,” he wrote in a statement shared by The Shade Room, “the process of verification requires them to prove their IDENTITY, so everyone knows WHO is speaking.” He then went on to write, in all caps, “SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES SHOULD MAKE THIS MANDATORY FOR ALL USERS.” He continued on and said that allowing private accounts to merely exist on social media is like “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. It’s an airplane that allows travelers to wear balaclavas.” He concluded that if these “cowards” wish to spew racism or hate online, that they should “say it with [their] name” and not with their username.

This actually isn’t a bad idea, because if everyone is verified, you can bring accountability to people’s threats, racism, and hate. Will this happen? It’s not likely–but we have to start the conversation to eventually find a solution.