Since releasing his self-titled debut album in 1968, Neil Young has always done things his own way. Last year, he ended a two-year Spotify boycott after stripping his music from the platform due to disagreements over subject matter discussed on The Joe Rogan Experience. Now, the three-time Grammy Award winner is scrubbing his presence from Facebook. This decision follows recent reports that the social media giant allowed artificial intelligence to engage in inappropriate conversations with children.
Videos by American Songwriter
Neil Young Has Quit Facebook
On Thursday (Aug. 14), an admin for Neil Young’s official Facebook page shared a statement explaining that the account is now essentially inactive.
“At Neil Young’s request, we are no longer using Facebook for any Neil Young related activities,” the statement read. “Meta’s use of chatbots with children is unconscionable. Mr. Young does not want a further connection with FACEBOOK.”
Young’s announcement follows an Aug. 14 report from Reuters detailing how an internal document from Meta Platforms has permitted the company’s artificial intelligence “chatbots” to flirt and participate in romantic roleplay with children. In addition to Facebook, Meta owns Instagram, WhatsApp, Threads, and Messenger.
According to Meta spokesperson Andy Stone, the company is in the process of revising the document in question.
“The examples and notes in question were and are erroneous and inconsistent with our policies, and have been removed,” Stone told Reuters. “We have clear policies on what kind of responses AI characters can offer, and those policies prohibit content that s*xualizes children and sexualized role play between adults and minors.”
[RELATED: 3 Valuable Pieces of Songwriting Advice From Neil Young]
A Long History of Taking a Stand
Neil Young’s departure from Facebook is far from the first time he has adopted a particularly bold stance. Amid his battle with Spotify in 2022, the folk-rock icon, 79, urged members of his generation to pull their money from Chase, Citi, Bank of America, Wells Fargo. Young called out these specific financial institutions for not doing enough to fight climate change.
“To baby boomers, I say that 70 percent of your country’s financial assets are in your hands compared with just 5 percent for millennials,” he wrote. “You and I need to lead…In our age of Climate Chaos, I say ditch the companies contributing to the mass fossil fuel destruction of Earth.
Featured image by Jim Dyson/Redferns
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