(MARK ZUCKERBERG / META CEO)
“AND THIS IS WHY WE’VE INVESTED SO MUCH AND ARE GOING TO CONTINUE DOING INDUSTRY LEADING EFFORTS TO MAKE SURE NO ONE HAS TO GO THROUGH THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT YOUR FAMILIES HAVE HAD TO SUFFER.”
[LAUREN TAYLOR]
A STUNNING MOMENT DURING THE SENATE JUDICIARY HEARING – AS META CEO MARK ZUCKERBERG SPEAKS DIRECTLY TO THE PARENTS IMPACTED BY HIS COMPANY’S SOCIAL MEDIA POLICIES.
HE AND THE CEOS OF TIKTOK, X AND SNAPCHAT WERE IN THE ‘HOT SEAT’ WEDNESDAY ON CAPITOL HILL – ANSWERING QUESTIONS FROM LAWMAKERS ABOUT THE ROLE THEIR PLATFORMS PLAY IN THE LIVES OF YOUNG PEOPLE AND THE POWER THEIR PARENTS HAVE IN MANAGING THEIR ACTIVITY.
IN A BI-PARTISAN EFFORT, LAWMAKERS ARGUE – KIDS AND TEENS ARE BEING HARMED BY THE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS THEY’RE USING – AS PEOPLE ON THE PLATFORMS PUSH CHILD SEXPLOITATION, NUDITY, SELF-HARM IDEOLOGIES, AND FENTANYL ONTO YOUNG VULNERABLE PEOPLE.
(SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM / R-SC)
“MR. ZUCKERBERG, YOU AND THE COMPANIES BEFORE US, I KNOW YOU DON’T MEAN IT TO BE SO BUT YOU’VE GOT BLOOD ON YOUR HANDS YOU HAVE A PRODUCT THAT’S KILLING PEOPLE.”
(SEN. AMY KLOBUCHER / D-MN)
“WHEN A BOEING PLANE LOST A DOOR MID FLIGHT SEVERAL WEEKS AGO, NOBODY QUESTIONED THE DECISION TO GROUND A FLEET OF OVER 700 PLANES. SO WHY AREN’T WE TAKING THE SAME TYPE OF DECISIVE ACTION ON THE DANGER OF THESE PLATFORMS WHEN WE KNOWN THESE KIDS ARE DYING?”
[LAUREN TAYLOR]
IN A CONGRESS WITH INCREASINGLY POLARIZED VIEWS – SENATORS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE WERE UNITED IN THEIR CALLS FOR MORE ACCOUNTABILITY FROM THE TECH GIANTS.
(SEN. DICK DURBIN / D-IL)
“As early as 2017, law enforcement identified Snapchat as the pedophile’s go-to sexual exploitation tool.”
(SEN. JOSH HAWLEY / R-MO)
“HERE’S A QUOTE FROM YOUR OWN STUDY. QUOTE ‘WE MAKE BODY IMAGE ISSUES WORSE FOR ONE IN THREE TEEN GIRLS.’”
(SEN. AMY KLOBUCHER / D-MN)
“The FBI director testified before this committee, there’s been over 20 suicides of kids attributed to online revenge porn in just the last year.”
(SEN. SHELDON WHITEHOUSE / D-RI)
“We are here in this hearing because as a collective, your platforms really suck at policing themselves. We hear about it here in congress with fentanyl and other drug dealings facilitated across platforms, we see it and hear about it here in congress with harassment and bullying that takes place across your platforms. We see it and hear about it here in congress with respect to child pornography, sexploitation, and blackmail and we are sick of it.”
[LAUREN TAYLOR]
THERE WAS PUSHBACK OVER ACCUSATIONS THESE COMPANIES AREN’T DOING ENOUGH — AT ONE POINT ZUCKERBERG EVEN CALLING INTO QUESTION THE LINK BETWEEN THE PLATFORMS AND THE IMPACT THEY HAVE ON KIDS.
[HAWLEY]
“MR. ZUCKERBERG, LET ME START WITH YOU. DID I HEAR YOU SAY IN YOUR OPENING STATEMENT THAT THERE’S NO LINK BETWEEN MENTAL HEALTH AND SOCIAL MEDIA USE?”
[ZUCKERBERG]
“SENATOR, WHAT I SAID IS I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT THE SCIENCE, I KNOW PEOPLE WIDELY TALK ABOUT THIS AS IF IT’S SOMETHING THAT’S ALREADY BEEN PROVEN AND I THINK THE BULK OF THE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE DOES NOT SUPPORT THAT.”
[LAUREN TAYLOR]
SENATOR HAWLEY WENT ON TO ASK ZUCKERBERG TO SPEAK TO THE PARENTS DIRECTLY.
[SENATOR HAWLEY]
HAWLEY: “LET ME ASK YOU THIS: THERE’S FAMILIES OF VICTIMS HERE TODAY. HAVE YOU APOLOGIZED TO THE VICTIMS? WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO SO NOW? THEY’RE HERE, YOU’RE ON NATIONAL TELEVISION. WOULD YOU LIKE NOW TO APOLOGIZE TO THE VICTIMS WHO’VE BEEN HARMED BY YOUR PRODUCT? SHOW HIM THE PICTURES. WOULD YOU LIKE TO APOLOGIZE FOR WHAT YOU’VE DONE TO THESE GOOD PEOPLE?”
[LAUREN TAYLOR]
RIGHT NOW – IT’S UNCLEAR WHETHER THIS HEARING RESULTS IN ANY DIRECT ACTION FROM THESE TECH COMPANIES. HOWEVER LAWMAKERS HAVE INTRODUCED LEGISLATION THEY HOPE WILL ADD A LAYER OF ACCOUNTABILITY FOR SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES.
(SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM / R-SC)
“SO THE BOTTOM LINE IS YOU CAN’T BE SUED. YOU SHOULD BE! AND THESE EMAILS WOULD BE GREAT FOR PUNITIVE DAMAGES. BUT THE COURTROOM IS CLOSED TO EVERY AMERICAN ABUSED BY ALL THE COMPANIES IN FRONT OF ME. OF ALL THE PEOPLE IN AMERICA WE COULD GIVE BLANKET LIABILITY PROTECTION TO, THIS WOULD BE THE LAST GROUP I WOULD PICK. IT IS NOW TIME TO REPEAL SECTION 230.”
[LAUREN TAYLOR]
CURRENTLY – UNDER SECTION 230, SERVICE PROVIDERS ARE NOT LIABLE FOR THIRD-PARTIES’ CONTENT ON THEIR PLATFORMS AND LAWMAKERS ARE HOPING TO CHANGE THAT FOR VICTIMS’ FAMILIES.
(SEN. DICK DURBIN / D-IL)
“WE’VE GOT FIVE BILLS THAT HAVE RECEIVED UNANIMOUS VOTE IN THE COMMITTEE, WE’RE FOCUSED ON THOSE BILLS”
[LAUREN TAYLOR]
SENATOR GRAHAM SAID HE’S GOING TO PRESSURE ALL OF HIS COLLEAGUES TO VOTE ON BILLS PERTAINING TO ONLINE CHILD SAFETY IN THE COMING WEEKS.
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