Neil Young has officially shut down his Facebook account as of August 14. This decision came after documents revealed that Meta allowed AI bots to engage in romantic chats with young users. In a final post, Young’s team announced that they would no longer use Facebook for any Neil Young-related activities. They stated, “Meta’s use of chatbots with children is unconscionable. Mr. Young does not want a further connection with Facebook.”
The leaked documents from Meta showed that AI was permitted to initiate romantic or sensual conversations with kids. The guidelines also allowed bots to share false information and create racist content, shocking many users.
In response to the controversy, Meta’s Andy Stone addressed the leaked papers, promising that changes are on the way. He said, “The examples and notes in question were and are erroneous and inconsistent with our policies, and have been removed. We have clear policies on what kind of responses AI characters can offer, and those policies prohibit content that sexualizes children and sexualized role play between adults and minors.”
This isn’t the first time Young has taken a stand against tech giants. In 2022, he removed his music from a major streaming platform due to concerns about vaccine misinformation. After two years, he returned his songs to the platform, showing his commitment to social responsibility.
Young’s latest album, *Talkin to the Trees with the Chrome Hearts*, was released in June. Fans can catch him live until September 20 as he wraps up shows in Toronto, Chicago, Vancouver, and Los Angeles on his Love Earth tour. He also performed at Glastonbury in 2024, receiving rave reviews for his powerful performance.
