Meta and Snapchat CEOsMark Zuckerbergand Evan Spiegel apologized Wednesday to parents attending a Senate hearing addressing online child safety on Capitol Hill.
The apologies were delivered after prompting from senators on both sides of the aisle at the Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing, called “Big Tech and the Online Child Sexual Exploitation Crisis.”
Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg/Getty (2)
“I’m sorry for everything you’ve all gone through,” said Zuckerberg, who stood up and faced the crowd. “It’s terrible. No one should have to go through the things that your families have suffered.”
He added, “This is why we have invested 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.”
Mark Zuckerberg speaking directly to parents at the Jan. 31 hearing.Anna Moneymaker/Getty
Anna Moneymaker/Getty
Later in the hearing, Spiegel apologized to families whose children died after purchasing drugs on Snapchat, where he has served as CEO since 2012, after prompting from California Sen. Laphonza Butler.
“I’m so sorry that we have not been able to prevent these tragedies,” Spiegel said.
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Spiegel then claimed the company does what it can to “proactively look for and detect drug-related content” and “remove it” from the platform, as well as help educate young people about drugs.
Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel.Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty
In addition to mental health and access to illicit drugs, the CEOs faced sharp criticism for several other issues facing their platforms such as national security and underage users.
During his exchange with Hawley, Zuckerberg claimed it is Meta’s job “to create tools that keep people safe” on the platforms they control. He also suggested the issues with underage users lie more with Apple and Google, which run the app stores where social media platforms like Meta’s Facebook and Instagram can be downloaded — though they can also be accessed through web browsers.
However, Zuckerberg also said it would be “trivial” to pass a law requiring parents to have control of their children’s downloads. “My understanding is Apple and Google, or at least Apple, already requires parental consent when a child does a payment with an app,” he told the committee.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc/Getty
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc/Getty
“It feels disgusting to sit there and be lied to,” Geismar said. “His words are less than a drop in the bucket … it is really, really nice for him to be able to say a few words and assuage everything, but it doesn’t bring back any human and it doesn’t take back the harm.”
TikTok has also come under fire for promoting harmful content, including content regarding mental health. During a Congressional hearingin March 2023, Chew said TikTok takes mental health issues “very seriously” and provides resources in many situations.
Regarding the committee’s concerns about TikTok, Chew reaffirmed that neither the app nor its parent company ByteDance Inc., is under the influence of the Chinese Communist Party.
He also suggested it was “a coincidence” that he was appointed CEO one day after the Chinese Communist Party’s China internet investment fund bought a 1% stake in ByteDance’s main Chinese subsidiary.
source: people.com
