Social media CEOs confronted with families of exploited children at Capitol Hill
Staff Writer
On January 31st, the CEOs of Meta, TikTok, X, Discord, and other social media companies testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee at Capitol Hill at a hearing called “Big Tech and the Online Child Sexual Exploitation Crisis.” The hearing investigated exploitation online and featured a video of children and their families speaking about their experiences with bullying and abuse.
33 states are suing Meta, claiming the company creates features on Facebook and Instagram that are purposefully addictive. Senator Lindsey Graham told the Meta CEO he had “blood on his hands” from a “product that’s killing people.” Parents who lost children to suicide silently held up pictures of the deceased throughout the hearing.
When Senator Josh Hawley asked Zuckerberg if he would like to apologize to victims harmed by Meta, he said to families in attendance, “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 they will “continue industry-wide efforts” to make sure no one suffers the same way.
In November of 2023, the same day the Senate began investigating Meta’s failure to protect children, Meta pushed for Google and Apple to play a larger role in protecting children online, calling for app stores to require parental approval when 13 to 15-year-old users download apps.
Senator Blackburn confronted Zuckerberg about a Facebook employee’s 2018 email that put profits the company could expect from a 13-year-old user at “roughly $270” per teen. “Children are not your priority, children are your product,” she said before calling on youth activists in the crowd and asking them to stand. As they did, the advocates revealed they were wearing T-shirts with the slogan, “I am worth more than $270.”
The CEOs pledged to make their apps safer by working with lawmakers, nonprofits, law enforcement, and parents. Zuckerberg declined to commit to Senator Hawley’s suggestion to set up a compensation fund. It is unclear if the Kids Online Safety Act introduced by Senators Marsha Blackburn and Richard Blumenthal in 2022 will be passed despite the joint support shown by Republican and Democratic senators during the hearing.
“I am tired of talking. I’m tired of having discussions,” Senator Graham said. “Open up the courthouse door. Until you do that, nothing will change. Until these people can be sued for the damage they’re doing, it is all talk.”
Caption: Mark Zuckerberg was put in a round of questioning by representatives of 33 states suing Meta for its addictive features (PC: Emaan Irfan (11)).
Eagle Era 
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