The promise was straightforward: "We will plant 1 tree for every picture of pets."
Within a few minutes, a request from an account named Plant A Tree Co . was massively shared on Instagram. It became a global trend and millions of people rushed to post pictures of cats and dogs - many of whom thought they might be helping the environment in the process.
As of Tuesday, there were more than 4.1 million posts from people sharing photos of pets. But will 4 million trees be planted? Certainly not. Will any trees be planted? Unclear.
The account behind the trend said he soon realized he had made a big mistake.
"We actually posted it ... But only for ten minutes. We immediately realized the potential of this post and believed we did not have the skills and funds," said Plant A Tree Co., which has more than 1 account. million followers.
Plant A Tree Co. does not list information on its website about where it is based or who is behind the stated goal of making the planet greener. She claims to have planted more than 6,500 trees to date, but does not specify how, where and when.
Meta, once known as Facebook, the company that owns Instagram, told the Washington Post in a statement: "The trend 'we will plant a tree for every photo of pets' shows the power of the Instagram community to raise awareness of important topics." .
Meta said the trend was launched "from an independent Instagram account - not Instagram".
Now, Plant A Tree Co., is not just looking for pictures - it is looking for money. The account is asking for donations on Instagram. On social media, many people are skeptical of the intentions of Plant A Tree Co.
Sources: Washington Post, Euronews
