Mark Zuckerberg Apologizes to Parents at Senate Hearing About Child Sexual Exploitation at Social Media Platforms

SEAToday.com, Washington DC- Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg apologized to parents who attended the United States Senate hearing titled "Big Tech and the Online Child Sexual Exploitation Crisis" on Wednesday (1/31) local time.

The parents who attended the forum also brought photos of their children. They said their children had been victims of self-harm and even suicide because of content on social media.

The apology came after he was pressed by Senator Josh Hawley. "I’m sorry for everything you’ve all gone through, it’s terrible. No one should have to go through the things that your families have suffered...", Zuckerberg said.

Zuckerberg might faced the toughest line of questioning at the hearing, with senators pressing him about nonconsensual sexually explicit images of children on Instagram, drug deaths linked to his social media platforms, and an array of other issues.

In addition to Zuckerberg, the forum was also attended by TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew and representatives from the social media companies Snap, X, and Discord.

During the questioning by senators, parents held up photos of their children. Many also wore blue ribbons that read "STOP Online Harms! Pass KOSA!” referring to the Kids Online Safety Act, which would create a duty of care for social media companies.

The US Congress is currently drafting regulations that require social media companies to take responsibility for the content uploaded to their platforms. (HAY/DKD)