During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on online child safety, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg issued an apology to families who asserted that their children suffered harm due to social media platforms. The apology came after Republican Senator Josh Hawley prompted Zuckerberg to express regret to the families holding pictures of their allegedly affected children, emphasizing that the hearing was broadcast live.
Responding to Hawley, Zuckerberg turned towards the families and stated, “I’m sorry for everything you have all been through. No one should go through the things that your families have suffered, and this is why we invest so much, and we are going to continue doing industry-wide efforts to make sure no one has to go through the things your families have had to suffer.”
The exchange became contentious, with Hawley asserting, “Your product is killing people.” The hearing, spanning nearly four hours, involved questioning not only Zuckerberg but also the leaders of TikTok, Snap, X, and Discord. Senators from both parties sought information on the steps these tech giants are taking to protect children online.
Zuckerberg and TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew willingly testified, while the heads of Snap, X (formerly Twitter), and Discord initially refused and were subsequently issued government-issued subpoenas. Families who claimed their children experienced self-harm or suicide due to online content sat behind the tech executives during the hearing.
The families, expressing their emotions and criticizing the CEOs for negligence, also commended lawmakers for posing tough questions. While the primary focus of the hearing was online child safety, the questions varied as senators aimed to obtain answers from the executives under oath regarding a range of concerns related to the impact of their platforms on children.
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