Target: Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta
Goal: Implement stringent measures to identify and remove animal cruelty content, and ensure the platform offers easy reporting mechanisms for users.
The RSPCA has raised alarms about the rising exposure of young people to animal cruelty content on social media platforms like Facebook, owned by Meta. More than 40% of 16 to 17-year-olds and nearly a third of 18 to 24-year-olds have reportedly encountered such distressing content online. Reports to the RSPCA’s emergency line about animal cruelty seen on social media are set to reach a four-year high, with over 2,000 incidents reported since the beginning of 2020.
One particularly shocking video that circulated reportedly showed a youth swinging a dog tied to a rope from a building’s terrace, sparking widespread outrage. Other disturbing videos, some apparently filmed in countries where animal cruelty is not illegal, reportedly depict horrific acts such as dogs being doused in hot oil and puppies being buried alive.
This alarming trend has led to concerns that young people are becoming desensitized to animal cruelty, creating a “compassion gap” between generations. The RSPCA’s annual Animal Kindness Index highlights this issue, revealing that those who spend the most time online tend to have less favorable views on animal welfare. Implement stringent measures to identify and remove animal cruelty content.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Mr. Zuckerberg,
I am writing to express my grave concern regarding the alarming rise in animal cruelty content on Facebook. The RSPCA’s recent findings show that over 40% of teenagers aged 16-17 and nearly 30% of young adults aged 18-24 have been exposed to such horrific content online. This exposure risks normalizing cruelty and desensitizing young users to the suffering of animals.
Videos depicting severe animal abuse, such as dogs being doused in hot oil and puppies buried alive, have sparked outrage and demand urgent action. The RSPCA’s data indicates that reports of animal cruelty seen on social media are set to hit a four-year high, with over 2,000 incidents reported since 2020.
I urge you to take immediate and stringent measures to identify and remove content depicting animal cruelty from Facebook. It is crucial to implement robust reporting mechanisms, making it easier for users to report such content and for your team to act swiftly to remove it.
Your leadership in this matter is vital to protect both the welfare of animals and the mental health of Facebook users. Please take decisive action to ensure that Facebook does not become a platform for spreading cruelty and suffering.
Thank you for your attention to this urgent issue.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: mkhmarketing
There can be no reason or excuse for you allowing this pornography to continue on Facebook. This garbage needs to be taken down form ALL sites. Kids are viewing this trash on your site and thinking it is okay to view such suffering. It is not okay! I think it’s against the law, hopefully here in the USA, if not it should be! Thanks to you and your passion for only money our kids are growing up to think like monsters. The things on your site done to animals hurt! Don’t you see that? Would you want it done to you, your family? I would hope not. Yet this needs to stop and the buck stops with you. You have been in front of the government before, ashamed, embarrassed, yet you didn’t change a thing. Change now!