Meta's Muse Mascot Draws Child-Targeting Criticism — SkimNews
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- Meta's Muse mascot "Jolly" is a dressable, "kawaii-coded" character, with Meta planning to sell a Tamagotchi-style Muse Charm device later this year.
- Despite an 18+ age restriction, the mascot's rounded design drew sharp criticism from Fairplay executive director Josh Golin, who compared Jolly to a Teletubby and warned it appeals to preschool-age children.
- Meta settled social media addiction claims in August for up to $16.7 billion, agreeing to add restrictive features for teens on Instagram and Facebook, while spokesperson Daniel Roberts dismissed the youth-appeal concerns as "a story in search of a story."
- Meta trains its AI models on user Muse interactions by default unless users opt out; a "confidential" virtual machine version designed to cryptographically block Meta from accessing user data is planned for 2026.
- Experts including Harvard's Julian De Freitas and Monash University's Jathan Sadowski warned the cute aesthetic can lower users' guard, with Sadowski calling Muse "an always-open portal into the servers of a major surveillance company."
Why it matters: Meta's choice to brand an 18+ AI agent with a preschool-friendly aesthetic comes just months after it settled teen-addiction claims for up to $16.7 billion, as the Tamagotchi-like Muse Charm device heads to market for the holidays — putting families and regulators on collision course with a product that trains on user data by default.
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