Senators on Wednesday interrogated leaders of major social media companies, asserting that Congress must swiftly enact legislation to address the escalating threats of sexual predation targeting children on their platforms. The hearing, prompted by mounting concerns from parents and mental health experts, underscores lawmakers’ determination to ensure social media companies prioritize child safety over profits.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham didn’t mince words, accusing Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and other companies of having “blood on their hands” for failing to protect children. “You have a product that’s killing people,” Graham asserted during the hearing, where Zuckerberg testified alongside other social media CEOs, including X CEO Linda Yaccarino, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, and Discord CEO Jason Citron.
Democratic Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Senator Dick Durbin, cited alarming statistics from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, highlighting the surge in financial “sextortion” cases involving predators coercing minors into sending explicit content. Durbin attributed this concerning trend to technological changes.
The hearing commenced with a video featuring children sharing their victimization experiences on social media. Parents present in the room held pictures of their affected children, voicing their grievances during the proceedings. Some parents directed objections at Zuckerberg, while Senator Josh Hawley challenged him to apologize directly to the families. Although expressing regret, Zuckerberg stopped short of taking direct responsibility for the abuse facilitated on his platforms.
A tense exchange unfolded as internal emails rejecting safety improvement requests were displayed, and the committee confronted Zuckerberg with Meta’s decisions. X’s Yaccarino expressed support for the STOP CSAM Act, an initiative by Senator Durbin holding tech companies accountable for child sexual abuse material.
The hearing also addressed concerns surrounding X (formerly Twitter), which faced criticism over moderation policies after Elon Musk’s acquisition. This week, the platform blocked searches related to Taylor Swift following the spread of fake explicit images.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, making his first appearance before U.S. lawmakers since March, disclosed that over 170 million Americans use TikTok monthly. Chew faced questions on the app’s impact on children’s mental health and committed to investing over $2 billion in trust and safety efforts.
During the hearing, Senator Ted Cruz pressed Zuckerberg about Instagram warning screens for potential child sexual abuse images, questioning the efficacy of allowing users to view such content.
Senator Amy Klobuchar criticized the tech industry’s perceived inaction, drawing a parallel to decisive actions taken in other industries. She questioned why similar urgency wasn’t applied to address the dangers posed by social media platforms, especially when children’s well-being is at stake.
