Many users of the social media platform said they would remain silent on Friday to protest the treatment of the actress, a vocal critic of Harvey Weinstein’s conduct.
Activists, celebrities and journalists were among those boycotting Twitter on Friday, after the social media platform suspended the account of the actress Rose McGowan, a vocal critic of Harvey Weinstein’s conduct.
The boycott started at midnight Thursday in New York and was set to last all day. Many signified they were taking part in the action with the hashtag #WomenBoycottTwitter.
The idea was raised by Kelly Ellis, a software engineer, who tweeted that, in response to Ms. McGowan’s suspension, people should consider boycotting the platform.
“ #WomenBoycottTwitter Friday, October 13th,” she wrote. “In solidarity w @rosemcgowan and all the victims of hate and harassment Twitter fails to support.”
Ms. McGowan announced on Wednesday that her Twitter account had been locked over violations of the platform’s terms of service. Twitter initially did not explain its decision, but it later said it had temporarily suspended the account because one of Ms. McGowan’s tweets had included a personal phone number, in violation of its rules.
Twitter clarified that the offending tweet had been removed, and that Ms. McGowan’s account had been unlocked. The company’s actions, however, continued to draw scrutiny, and critics said they highlighted a wider issue of curbing abuse online, especially toward women.
Alyssa Milano, Ms. McGowan’s co-star in the TV series “Charmed,” is among those snubbing the platform. The model Chrissy Teigen, and the actors Anna Paquin, Mark Ruffalo and John Cusack also said they would take part.
When asked to comment on Friday, a spokesperson from Twitter pointed to the company’s statement about why it locked Ms. McGowan’s account.
Ms. McGowan, who reached a $100,000 settlement with Mr. Weinstein after an incident in a hotel room the Sundance Film Festival in 1997, has been vocal in her support of other women who have come forward with allegations the producer sexually assaulted them.
On Tuesday, in response to the actor Ben Affleck condemning accusations against Mr. Weinstein, Ms. McGowan called him a liar and claimed he had known of the producer’s actions. She also called out other Hollywood players for their silence on the matter, tweeting “You all knew.”
