Social Media: The world’s leading social media platforms like Meta, TikTok, X, Snapchat and Discord have been accused of lacking in protection of children regarding sexual exploitation. Following this allegation, these social media giants have testified before the US Senate Judiciary Committee in Washington, DC on January 31, 2024.
During this time, the atmosphere in the Judiciary Committee room was quite tense and emotional, in which the parents of the victim children were also present. Senators from both the Republican and Democratic parties believe that social media companies are neglecting their responsibilities, which is causing direct harm to young people.
MPs blame social media giants
Proposed bills like the Stop CSAM Act and the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) provide hope for regulatory action. The process of passing such a law takes time. In addition to the ongoing criticism, social media companies and especially the meta ones (Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp) are facing challenges related to child safety, antitrust issues and data privacy concerns.
There have already been disputes between lawmakers and the CEOs of these companies. Although earlier the dispute between the two focused on issues like antitrust and data privacy violations on social media apps, the circumstances still remain the same.
What did Mark Zuckerberg say?
Senator (US Representative) Josh Hawley forced Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg to stand down and apologize directly to parents who believed that Meta’s platforms had harmed their children. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg then responded, “No one should have to go through what your families have gone through.”
During the hearing, US lawmakers focused on Meta, emphasizing its large user base, high-profile privacy issues and its legal challenges, including a recent lawsuit from the New Mexico Attorney General.
Senator Lindsey Graham made serious allegations against Zuckerberg and said that your hands are stained with blood. After that, Zuckerberg presented his explanation in this hearing along with the officials of X (Twitter), Snapchat, TikTok and Discord. Let us tell you that during this hearing held in America, a video was played in which children were telling about their harassment on social media. This video emphasizes on strengthening the safety of children in the digital age.