Elton John is calling for a boycott of social media over hate speech on the platforms. The legendary British musician said in a BBC interview that social media companies, quote, "haven't done anything to try to stem the flow of hate on the internet." He said of them: "I don't know why they allow it -- it's supposed to be free speech, but the things that are on social media are so disgusting that there has to be action taken by the people who own these companies." Talking about a potential boycott, John said, "When the money is not coming in they'll sit up." The comments came in an interview after John gave the Diana, Princess of Wales lecture on HIV and AIDS in which he said of the social media giants, "Companies like Facebook and Instagram cannot pretend they are purely private enterprises. I believe they have a public role and responsibility.