The viral campaign for users to create a Facebook cartoon profile pic has recently been touted as being a way for pedophiles to reach children more easily and that rumor is spreading as quickly as the cartoon campaign itself.
Over the weekend it seems that a rumor was circulated that those behind the idea of changing your Facebook profile picture to a cartoon were really a group of pedophiles who were after access to children. According to the rumor, this group believes that children will more readily accept unknown friends if they have a cartoon photo. However, the message being spread rapidly throughout Facebook and via email is nothing more than another internet hoax.
There is no group of pedophiles that created the idea of users replacing their photo with one of a cartoon character. There have been similar hoaxes that have spread around the internet and all have been found to be untrue, but not before they caused panic and concern among parents.
The origin of users adopting a cartoon photo began with an unknown user in Greece. The message originated in mid-November and was very basic in stating that for a period of several days there should be no human face on Facebook. While some participated it was not as wildly popular as it has since become.
Over the past month the message has changed several times. At some point it was altered by someone to reflect that the mission was to draw attention to child abuse. Though no agency is behind the message many have praised the awareness it has brought to them. With this newest message the campaign went viral and very few users were not changing their photos to cartoons.
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