Veiled Meat Eater Targeting
I recently read about a new app in the works to tell consumers which restaurants offer vegetarian, vegan, or humanely raised options. The non-profit group America for Animals will be offering the app, which is to be called “The Humane Eating Project”. At first glance the app sounds harmless enough. I know that it can often be hard for vegetarians or vegans to find restaurants that offer food choices within their dieting parameters. But closer examination of the future plans for the app by its creators sends shivers up my spine. Representatives for America for Animals say they hope to be able to create a “watch list” within the app of restaurants that they feel serve inherently cruel dishes, with a built in petitioning tool that will allow users to target local restaurants that they want to receive letters from “The Humane Eating Project” about serving more humane choices. Now we’re getting to the real “meat of the matter”. Instead of merely helping those who choose to eat a vegetarian diet find eating out options, the app will ultimately serve as yet another tool to target meat eaters and the restaurants who serve them.