Mark Zuckerberg apologizes to families during US Senate hearing on social media harms
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg apologized to families who claimed their children suffered harm from social media during a contentious US Senate hearing.
Addressing the families, Zuckerberg empathized, stating, “no-one should go through” such experiences.
Tech executives from TikTok, Snap, X, and Discord faced nearly four hours of questioning by senators seeking insights into their efforts to protect children online amid ongoing legislative developments.
Zuckerberg and TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew voluntarily testified, while the heads of Snap, X, and Discord initially declined and were issued subpoenas.
Families, alleging self-harm or suicide by their children due to social media content, sat behind the tech bosses, expressing their sentiments throughout the hearing.
While the focus was primarily on safeguarding children from online sexual exploitation, senators seized the opportunity to address a range of issues.
Chew, the CEO of TikTok, denied sharing US users’ data with the Chinese government and refuted any affiliation with the Chinese Communist Party.
Zuckerberg faced intense scrutiny, notably over an Instagram prompt regarding child sexual abuse material.
Responding to Senator Ted Cruz, Zuckerberg defended the prompt, citing its intention to guide users toward helpful content and pledged to investigate further.
In another exchange with Senator Josh Hawley, he publicly apologized to the affected families.
The hearing delved into the companies’ stances on pending online safety legislation, with Discord CEO Jason Citron expressing reservations during an exchange with Senator Lindsey Graham.
Meta had announced new safety measures, including default restrictions on minors receiving messages from strangers on Instagram and Messenger.
Despite bipartisan consensus on the need for platform regulation, the hearing was criticized as political grandstanding by social media analyst Matt Navarra.
The uncertainty about the regulatory future persisted, considering the history of hearings leading to limited regulatory outcomes.
The CEOs disclosed their content moderation staffing numbers, with Meta and TikTok employing 40,000 moderators each, while Snap, X, and Discord had varying numbers.
Discord, a messaging platform, has faced scrutiny over its approach to detecting and preventing child abuse.
After the hearing, parents rallied outside, urging lawmakers to pass the Kids Online Safety Act. Joann Bogard, who lost her son to a TikTok trend, emphasized the urgency, stating that harms were affecting average children overnight.
Arturo Béjar, a former Meta staff member, criticized Meta’s approach to teen safety, highlighting the absence of a reporting button for teens.
During the hearing, Meta highlighted the implementation of “over 30 tools” to create a safe online environment for teens.
Source-BBC
