Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, in a heated US Senate hearing, apologized to families who claimed their children suffered harm from social media. Expressing empathy, Zuckerberg emphasized that no one should endure the challenges these families faced.
The Senate inquiry, lasting nearly four hours, involved questioning Zuckerberg, alongside leaders of TikTok, Snap, X, and Discord, about measures to safeguard children online. Concurrently, Congress is considering legislation to hold social media companies accountable for content on their platforms.
The hearing provided a rare opportunity for senators to interrogate tech executives, with Zuckerberg and TikTok’s Shou Zi Chew voluntarily testifying. However, the heads of Snap, X, and Discord initially resisted, receiving government-issued subpoenas.
Behind the tech leaders, families shared stories of children harming themselves due to social media content. Attendees expressed their sentiments, hissing at CEOs’ entrances and applauding tough questions posed by lawmakers.
While the focus was on protecting children from online exploitation, inquiries covered various topics. TikTok’s CEO, Shou Zi Chew, denied sharing US users’ data with the Chinese government, facing questions from Senator Tom Cotton about his association with the Chinese Communist Party.
During the hearing, Senator Ted Cruz confronted Zuckerberg about an Instagram prompt related to child sexual abuse material. Cruz questioned, “Mr. Zuckerberg, what the hell were you thinking?” Zuckerberg explained the approach and vowed to investigate further.
In another exchange with Senator Josh Hawley, Zuckerberg apologized to the families seated behind him, acknowledging the distress they endured. Standing and addressing the audience, he expressed sorrow for their suffering and emphasized the undesirability of such experiences.
