Led by Senator Dick Durbin, the committee aims to investigate online child sexual exploitation and scrutinise platforms’ efforts to protect young users. The hearing room was emotionally charged with parents whose children had been victims of online exploitation on social media. Many audience members silently displayed photos of their affected children as the CEOs entered. Throughout the hearing, several senators recounted personal narratives of parents who lost their children to suicide after being harassed online, and recorded testimonies of children and parents were also played.
In a nearly four-hour hearing, lawmakers grilled Mark Zuckerberg, Evan Spiegel, and others about their track records on child safety and asked what they are doing to protect them on their platforms. Senator Durbin labelled online child sexual exploitation a crisis in America, holding tech executives like Mark Zuckerberg, Linda Yaccarino, Shou Zi Chew, Evan Spiegel, and Jason Citron responsible. He criticised their design choices and failure to prioritise trust and safety over engagement and profit.
In his opening remarks, Senator Lindsey Graham directly addressed Zuckerberg and the companies represented, stating, “You and the companies before us — I understand it may not be intentional — but there is blood on your hands.” The audience responded with applause. “You have a product that’s killing people.”Durbin highlighted Discord’s use in child grooming, Meta’s Instagram connecting paedophiles, criminals exploiting Snapchat for financial extortion, TikTok being a platform for predators to access and groom children, and the increase in CSAM on X due to a reduction in the trust and safety workforce.
Zuckerberg’s apologises to parents
In an exchange with Zuckerberg, Senator Josh Hawley questioned the Meta CEO about compensating victims and their families. When asked if he compensated any victims, Zuckerberg replied, “I don’t think so.” Senator Hawley then pressed him to apologise to the families, to which Zuckerberg stood, turned away from the microphone, and directly addressed the parents, saying, “I’m sorry for everything you have all been through.
No one should go through the things that your families have suffered.” He added that Meta continues to invest and work on “industry-wide efforts” to protect children.Zuckerberg faced questions about internal documents urging additional child protection measures, with state attorneys general claiming these requests were denied. A Meta spokesman argued the documents lack full context, emphasising Zuckerberg’s testimony on a $5 billion investment in safety and security.
Senator Ted Cruz referenced a report on Instagram allowing searches associated with illegal material, questioning Zuckerberg about the “See results anyway” option. Zuckerberg defended it, suggesting the company may be wrong and highlighted reporting more suspected child exploitation material than any other social media firm.Then, Senator Marsha Blackburn accused Meta of trying to become “the premier sex trafficking platform,” prompting Mark Zuckerberg to dismiss the claim as “ridiculous.”
During his testimony, Zuckerberg suggested that lawmakers establish regulations requiring Apple and Google app stores to verify the age of younger users. He reiterated that his platform has introduced various tools and features to safeguard children.
“We work very hard,” says Snap CEO Spiegel
Senator Laphonza Butler (D-CA) questioned Snap CEO Evan Spiegel about parents’ concerns regarding their children accessing illegal drugs on the platform. Spiegel stated, “I’m so sorry that we have not been able to prevent these tragedies.
We work very hard to block all search terms related to drugs on our platform.” He emphasised Snapchat’s educational efforts, conveying, “One pill can kill.”At the hearing, Senator Durbin pressed Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel, alleging that sexual predators favoured the app’s disappearing messages. Spiegel responded, “We already work extensively to proactively detect this type of behaviour.” He emphasised Snapchat’s distinct features, highlighting limitations on predators finding users and the app’s focus on private messages rather than public interactions like “likes” or comments.
TikTok CEO Shou questioned about the app’s connection with China
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, questioned by Senator Tom Cotton, denied sharing U.S. users’ data with the Chinese government and affirmed he has never been associated with the Chinese Communist Party. Chew, a Singaporean, acknowledged the parental concerns discussed, revealing his children don’t use TikTok due to age restrictions in Singapore. He emphasised the company’s commitment to enforcing its policy against minors under 13 using the app.
He highlighted TikTok’s U.S. user base growth to 170 million and its age-related safety measures. However, Senator John Cornyn raised concerns about data protection from Chinese authorities, referring to a Wall Street Journal report. Chew disputed the article’s accuracy but acknowledged the imperfection of any data protection system.
Discord CEO had to be visited by US Marshals
Republican lawmaker Lindsey Graham, in a tense exchange with Discord CEO Jason Citron, listed online safety bills in Congress, who appeared to express reservations about most of them.
With limited opportunity to respond, Graham concluded, “So here you are – if you’re waiting on these guys to solve the problem, we’re gonna die waiting.”Judiciary Committee Chair Senator Dick Durbin noted that Citron only accepted the subpoena after US marshals were sent to Discord’s headquarters at taxpayers’ expense.
“We do not” serve children, says Twitter CEO
During an interview, CEO Linda Yaccarino stated that X, formerly known as Twitter, does not have any business segment that caters to children.
She also mentioned that the company will support the Stop CSAM Act, a federal bill that aims to provide an easier way for victims of child exploitation to sue tech companies. However, child health advocates claim that social media companies have repeatedly failed to protect minors.During the hearing, companies highlighted their existing safety features and parental controls, with Meta launching updates leading up to the event.
X CEO Yaccarino, emphasising X as a “brand new company,” mentioned considering the addition of parental controls.Senator Durbin, putting the focus on child protection as a top priority, expressed concern that recent safety measures were overdue and questioned the need for a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing to push companies to prioritise child safety. He intends to inquire about making platforms inaccessible to child sex offenders and seeks more comprehensive actions beyond recent changes.
The Senate hearing on online harms to children concluded with Chairman Durbin stating that America faces a “moment of reckoning” with Big Tech’s unchecked power, emphasising the need for legislation to rein it in. Durbin stressed the responsibility of both lawmakers and the industry to address the issues faced by children online. Some parents rallied outside after the hearing, calling for lawmakers to hold firms accountable.
Congress is considering new safety regulations to protect children online. Senators have proposed six bills dealing with children’s online safety, including KOSA and COPPA 2.0. These bills would require platforms to create more parental control and safety features and prohibit companies from collecting or monetizing children’s data without consent. Senators have also proposed bills to address child exploitation, such as the EARN IT Act and the STOP CSAM Act.
The tech giants have lobbied against these bills, but some companies have expressed openness to some bills and certain aspects of the legislation.