The ladies on the ABC talk show “The View” are known for their constant arguing about virtually every issue under the sun, but on Wednesday’s episode, they came to a rare unanimous agreement on an issue that may surprise you: that an ID should be required to create a social media account.
The panel was discussing a call made by Hollywood star Idris Elba that social media companies should make it a requirement for users to prove their identity, and all five of the cohosts agreed with great excitement. They claimed that this would be the perfect way to combat hate speech and racism online.
‘The View’ Cohosts Gush Over Elba’s Idea
“I think this is a terrific, terrific idea. I mean, I am subjected daily to racist attacks on social media,” said cohost Sunny Hostin. “I’m talking daily. Sometimes in the hundreds, sometimes in the thousands, and it’s painful, it’s hurtful, and it’s always from someone who has a cat icon, a flag icon, a frog icon … an eagle icon, and they are, I believe, just Twitter thugs, social media thugs hiding in their mama’s basements.”
“These are cowards, and, you know, people are always talking about I.D. necessary for all sorts of things, then I.D. certainly should be necessary, a verified I.D. before you start a social media account, because the reason people are trolling like this is because there are little to no consequences because of their anonymity,” she added.
Related: ‘The View’s’ Sunny Hostin Rips Sean Hannity For Finally Endorsing Vaccine – ‘Too Little, Too Late’
Meghan McCain Weighs In
Conservative cohost Meghan McCain agreed, saying that she’s even considering quitting Twitter because it has become a “darker, uglier place” since the start of COVID-19.
“If you are going to send racist notes … if you’re going to harass women, if you’re going to tell them you want them raped and killed, I think your employer should know about it,” she said. “I’m actually thinking about quitting [Twitter].”
“I have a lot of followers on there, and it’s been an incredible platform to talk to people and read the news and everything, but definitely in the past year, since the pandemic, it’s become a noticeably more darker, uglier place … Stay tuned,” McCain continued. “When I leave the show, I may quit Twitter the same day for this reason.”
Related: Meghan McCain Couldn’t Stand The ‘Backstabbing’ Of Her Cohosts On ‘The View’
Other Cohosts Speak Out
Cohost Sara Haines feels the same way, saying that she’s even contacted those who send her hate online asking if she could interview them to gain a better understanding of why they’re doing what they’re doing.
“They need to be accountable,” she said. “You want to say it, that’s fine, but let your kids come to the table, let your boss come to the table, let your minister come to the table and we’ll discuss.”
Cohost Joy Behar chimed in to say that if she’s held accountable for the words that she says, “why shouldn’t some loser whose living in his mother’s basement?”
Meanwhile, cohost Whoopi Goldberg also agreed with her cohosts, but she said she avoids the negativity of the internet by not even reading users comments about her. Check out the full segment below.
SHOULD SOCIAL MEDIA BE VERIFIED VIA ID? After racist online attacks on Black athletes during the #EuroCup, actor Idris Elba wants social media sites to make users prove their identities so they cannot troll people anonymously — the co-hosts discuss. https://t.co/f8u2wbJuik pic.twitter.com/Biiu1hUZ5S
— The View (@TheView) July 21, 2021
This piece was written by James Samson on July 22, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.
Read more at LifeZette:
George Soros Tied Group Infiltrates US Military
Kamala Harris Stumbles Again, Caught Lying To CBS About Speaking To Republican Leaders Over Voting Bill
‘The View’s’ Sunny Hostin Rips Sean Hannity For Finally Endorsing Vaccine – ‘Too Little, Too Late’