CEOs of Meta, TikTok, X, and other companies have faced tough questioning from U.S. lawmakers about the risks that children and teens encounter while using their social media platforms.
On Wednesday, the executives testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee amid a torrent of anger from parents and lawmakers that companies are not taking sufficient measures to address online risks for children, including blocking sexual predators and preventing teen suicide.
Tech Companies Being Held Accountable for Children's Online Safety
U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, who chairs the committee, stated in opening remarks that the companies are accountable for many online dangers faced by children, highlighting their design choices, insufficient investment in trust and safety, and prioritization of engagement and profit over basic safety as factors putting kids at risk.
Durbin referred to data from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children non-profit group, indicating a significant increase in financial "sextortion" cases last year where predators deceive minors into sending explicit photos and videos. The committee also played a video featuring victimized children on social media platforms, where one child appearing in shadow said, "I was sexually exploited on Facebook."
Meta CEO Zuckerberg's Apology
Senator Lindsey Graham addressed Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, the company that owns Facebook and Instagram, stating, "You and the companies before us, I know you don't mean it to be so, but you have blood on your hands."
Zuckerberg apologized, expressing sympathy for the audience's difficulties, saying, "No one should have to go through the things that your families have suffered."
READ ALSO: Meta Faces Unredacted Complaint, Denying Allegations Linked to Child Exploitation Content
Zuckerberg and X CEO Linda Yaccarino, Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, and Discord CEO Jason Citron testified during the proceedings.
X CEO Linda Yaccarino's Statement
Yaccarino from X mentioned that the company backs the STOP CSAM Act, a bill introduced by Durbin that aims to hold tech companies responsible for child sexual abuse material, permitting victims to sue tech platforms and app stores. While several bills address child safety, none have been enacted into law.
X, formerly Twitter, has faced strong criticism since being acquired by Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, who implemented more lenient moderation policies. This week, the company took action by blocking searches for pop singer Taylor Swift after fake sexually explicit images of Swift circulated on the platform.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew's First Hearing Appearance
Wednesday marked the first time TikTok CEO Chew appeared before U.S. lawmakers since March, when the Chinese-owned short video app faced tough questions, including concerns about its impact on children's mental health.
Chew mentioned making deliberate design choices to make the app inhospitable to those intending harm to teens, adding that TikTok's community guidelines strictly forbid anything that endangers teenagers and are actively being reinforced.
Introduction of New Measures Before the Court
During the hearing, the executives highlighted the safety tools on their platforms and emphasized their collaboration with non-profits and law enforcement to safeguard minors. Before their testimony, Meta and X also introduced new measures in anticipation of the heated session. However, child health advocates argue that social media companies have consistently fallen short in protecting minors.
Zamaan Qureshi, co-chair of Design It For Us, a youth-led coalition advocating for safer social media, emphasized that revenue should not be companies' primary consideration when making crucial safety and privacy decisions. Qureshi also pointed out previous chances these companies had but failed to do so. Hence, he believes independent regulation needs to step in.
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