‘Star Trek’s Wil Wheaton Deactivates His Twitter Account

Star Trek: The Next Generation star Wil Wheaton is taking part in #DeactiDay, a movement meant to encourage Twitter users to deactivate their accounts either temporarily or permanently.

Twitter is broken. You deserve better than an app that tolerates and welcomes the spreading of abuse and misinformation. Being part of this is not doing us any good. Personally, politically, socially. For a day, a week, forever: your call. It’s just a good time to go. #DeactiDay pic.twitter.com/LZEw78VYnp

— Wil 'this account mocks fascists' Wheaton (@wilw) August 15, 2018

Wheaton, who joined the social media site in 2007 as @wilw, has since updated his handle to "Wil 'this account mocks fascists' Wheaton."

"Twitter is broken. You deserve better than an app that tolerates and welcomes the spreading of abuse and misinformation," Wheaton wrote in a pinned tweet Wednesday. "Being part of this is not doing us any good. Personally, politically, socially. For a day, a week, forever: your call. It's just a good time to go."

In a series of tweets, Wheaton wrote Twitter "does more harm than good," explaining the social outlet "has lost its way, because it has terrible leadership that tolerates and encourages bigotry, abuse, harassment, and the deliberate spreading of misinformation."

The Star Trek and Big Bang Theory actor added he doesn't "want to be part of what Twitter has become."

"I hope that if enough of us deactivate, whoever is leading Twitter (it sure as hell isn't Jack) will take meaningful steps to address and curtail the abuse, misinformation, and harassment that are currently its primary use," Wheaton wrote, citing Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey.

Wheaton then linked to other social media sites, including Facebook, Instagram and Tumblr, signing off Twitter by encouraging users to "be kind to each other."

The Washington Post reported on Wednesday Dorsey is "rethinking core parts" of Twitter so that "it doesn't enable the spread of hate speech, harassment and false news." Among the suggested experimental features would be promoting alternative viewpoints in user timelines to "address misinformation and reduce 'echo chambers,'" as well as potentially labeling automated accounts known as bots.

Wheaton's statement is available in full below.