Mark Zuckerberg apologizes to parents at online child safety hearing

Parents showed photos of their children as senators questioned the CEOs. Many also wore blue ribbons that read “STOP online harm! Pass KOSA!” referring to the Child Online Safety Act, which would create a duty of care for social media companies.

Some of the parents whistled audibly when Zuckerberg entered the courtroom on Wednesday. He has faced intense scrutiny and criticism over the years over child safety issues on Meta platforms.

Zuckerberg’s words to parents in the audience were not spoken over the microphone, but were audible on a live broadcast.

After apologizing, Zuckerberg told parents that “that’s why we invested so much and we’re going to continue to make industry-leading efforts to make sure that no one has to go through the kinds of things that their families have had to endure.”

Zuckerberg faced perhaps the toughest line of questioning at the hearing, with senators pressing him about non-consensual sexually explicit images of children on Instagram, drug deaths linked to his social media platforms and a host of other issues.

Meta faces a federatedtoIsuit of dozens of states alleging that Facebook and Instagram intentionally created “psychologically manipulative” features to keep children addicted and that they hid internal data that would reveal the platforms’ harm to young users.

In questioning Zuckerberg, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., referred to a series of emails Zuckerberg allegedly received from Meta’s global affairs director, Nick Clegg.

In an email, Clegg wrote, “We are not on track to be successful on our core wellness issues: problematic use, bullying and harassment connections, and SSI,” which stands for “suicidal self-injury.”

Clegg, a former deputy prime minister of the United Kingdom, wrote in a subsequent email that Meta’s ability to ensure security on its platforms was being hampered by a lack of investment in the efforts.

“Nick Clegg was asking them, pleading with them, for resources to support the narrative to meet the commitments,” Blumenthal said. Zuckerberg didn’t have time to respond.

Soon after, Hawley also pointed out a Wall Street Journal investigation in 2021 that reported that some internal Meta documents showed that the company knew that Instagram had negative effects on the mental health of teenagers. Zuckerberg disputed that Hawley referred to those details as “facts” and claimed that he was cherry-picking the investigation.

And in answering a question directed at all the social media executives who testified, Zuckerberg told senators that Meta has 40,000 people working in its trust and safety division.

Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vermont, later questioned CEOs about a wave of layoffs last year that affected employees in their respective trust and safety departments. Zuckerberg responded that Meta’s layoffs were “broad” and “didn’t really focus on that area.”

Sen. Thom Tillis, R.N.C., also pressed CEOs on their commitments to safety, striking some balance between their humanity and the companies they oversee.

“At the end of the day, I find it hard to believe that any of you started this business, some of you in your college dormitories, for the purpose of creating the evil that is being perpetrated on your platforms,” he said. . “But I hope that every waking hour you do everything you can to reduce it.”