Blackout Tuesday: Activists urge Instagram users to be careful when posting black squares to their feed

Posts are covering up useful information, users warn

Protestors hold up placards during a "Black Lives Matter" demonstration over the death of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer, on June 1, 2020 in New York (ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)

Activists have urged caution about the "Blackout Tuesday" event on Instagram, which is intended to show solidarity with people fighting against racism and police violence.

The event has seen huge numbers of Instagram users post a black square to their feed as a message of support for the protests. Those posting are then encouraged not to post in their feed, and instead use the time to reflect or read other content.

But numerous people have warned that the messages threaten to cover up other important information, as well as failing to offer the support that the posts aim to convey.

Chief among the concerns are that many of the posts are using the Black Lives Matter hashtag, in an attempt to show the support

That has led anyone who looks at either of the hashtags on Instagram to see a wall of black squares, rather than the news, posts or other information that might ordinarily appear under that topic.

Users have been encouraged to use the "#BlackoutTuesday" tag rather than any others to identify their posts.

Other activist groups, including UK Black Pride, suggested that users should delete the black squares and instead continue to post helpful information.

"UK Black Pride would like to encourage those who care about Black lives to delete their black squares and post useful, helpful, uplifting and empowering information and images that further the #BlackLivesMatter​ cause," a message on its official Twitter account read.

"Social media is a vital tool in the fight for equality, and a feed full of black squares does not let us know that you stand in solidarity with us. It is a silence and an erasure that we cannot afford.

"For our allies, there are many conversations you all need to have with each other. Please continue to share information, educate each other and donate to causes that directly support Black people and protests. #BlackOutTuesday is not a day off, pls."