Neil Young has once again taken a stand against Big Tech, officially cutting ties with Facebook. The legendary Canadian musician condemned Meta for what he called the “unconscionable use of chatbots with children,” a concern raised after a troubling Reuters investigation.
A statement on Young’s official page confirmed the move: “At Neil Young’s request, we are no longer using Facebook for any Neil Young related activities. Meta’s use of chatbots with children is unconscionable. Mr. Young does not want a further connection with FACEBOOK.”
The Reuters report revealed internal Meta documents showing that AI-powered chatbots were allowed to interact with children in ways that could become “romantic or sensual.” In one disturbing example, an AI described an eight-year-old’s “youthful form” as “a work of art.” Meta responded by saying the examples were “erroneous” and inconsistent with company policies, and claimed they had since been removed.
This decision is the latest in a long line of public battles Young has waged with major tech platforms. In 2019, he blasted Facebook for promoting misinformation and spending $20,000 to remove the platform’s login option from his digital archive. “I don’t feel that a social site should be making obvious commitments to one side of politics or the other,” he said at the time. “It further confuses readers regarding truthfulness in coverage and message.”
Young has also clashed with Spotify, famously pulling his catalog from the service in 2022 in protest of Covid-19 misinformation on The Joe Rogan Experience.
For Neil Young, the decision to leave Facebook is part of a larger, ongoing refusal to compromise his principles in the face of powerful corporations.
