Zuckerberg expresses apology to families during intense Senate hearing

During a hearing in the US Senate, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg apologized to families who claimed that their children had been harmed by social media. Zuckerberg, along with the CEOs of TikTok, Snap, X, and Discord, faced questioning from senators regarding the protection of children online. The hearing also addressed legislation aimed at holding social media companies accountable for content posted on their platforms. While TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew denied sharing US users’ data with the Chinese government, Zuckerberg faced the most scrutiny and was asked about an Instagram prompt related to child sexual abuse material. He promised to look into the issue and apologized to the families present. The hearing highlighted the need for bipartisan legislation to regulate social media platforms, but the outcome and potential regulations remain uncertain. Meta recently announced new safety measures, including default settings that prevent minors from receiving messages from strangers on Instagram and Messenger. The CEOs also revealed the number of content moderators employed by their respective platforms. Following the hearing, parents staged a rally calling for urgent legislation to hold social media firms accountable for the harm caused to children.