Mark Zuckerberg was berated during a Senate hearing on online child sex abuse – with one lawmaker declaring he had “blood on his hands” and another denouncing a surge in the “financial sextortion” of children using social media apps.
The billionaire boss of Meta, who faces multiple lawsuits over allegations he exposed young users to danger on Facebook and Instagram, was repeatedly singled out Wednesday by members of the Senate Judiciary Committee on hot-button subjects.
“Mr. Zuckerberg, you and the company before us – I know you don’t mean it that way – but you have blood on your hands,” said Senator Lindsey Graham. “You have a product that kills people.”
In a rare show of bipartisan unity, Senate panelists expressed support for a handful of bills aimed at stopping sex and drug-related abuse on online platforms — and ripped executives in the chamber for inaction.
The Democratic chairman of the panel, Sen. Dick Durbin, called the situation a “crisis in America.”
He highlighted disturbing episodes in which children have been victims of “financial abuse,” where criminals trick them into sending explicit videos and threaten to release them unless the victim sends money.
“Their continued efforts to engage and profit over basic safety all put our children and grandchildren at risk,” Durbin said.
Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg delivered his opening remarks during a US Senate Committee on the Judiciary hearing to examine Big Tech and the online child sexual exploitation crisis. Rod Lamkey – CNP / MEGA REUTERS Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, speaks to victims and their family members as he testifies during the US Senate Judiciary Committee hearing “Big Tech and the Online Child Sexual Exploitation Crisis” in Washington, DC, on January 31, 2024. AFP via Getty Images
Durbin also criticized some tech CEOs for cynical efforts to update security policies just days before executives would have to “justify their lack of action to this committee.”
In another tense moment, Republican Senator Ted Cruz reprimanded Zuckerberg for instances where Instagram displayed a warning screen warning users that they might be interacting with images of child sexual abuse – but let them access the content.
“Mr. Zuckerberg, what do you think?” Cruz said.
Graham, the ranking Republican panelist, called for the repeal of Section 230, which shields social media firms from liability, so that victims of sex abuse can legally hold companies accountable.
Relatives of victims hold their portraits before the start of the US Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, “Big Tech and the Online Child Sexual Exploitation Crisis,” in Washington, DC, on January 31, 2024. AFP via Getty Images “Mr. Zuckerberg, you and the companies before us, I know you don’t mean it, but you have blood on your hands,” said Senator Lindsey Graham, referring to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. “You have a product that kills people.” Reuters
Zuckerberg and top bosses from TikTok, Snap, X and Discord were grilled in a packed room in Washington that included parents and family members who quietly held up pictures of victims of online child sex exploitation.
The hearing began with a small group of victims and their parents discussing their tragic experiences – with one declaring that “Big Tech failed to protect me.”
“I was sexually exploited on Facebook,” says one child in the video, which appears in the shadows.
In the hearing room, dozens of parents stood waiting for the CEO to enter, holding pictures of their children.
An installation protesting Zuckerberg and TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew was seen in front of the US Capitol. AP
Snap CEO Evan Spiegel, Discord CEO Jason Citron and X CEO Linda Yaccarino, were issued subpoenas to compel their presence, while Zuckerberg and Chew attended voluntarily.
Zuckerberg sought to highlight Meta’s efforts to address concerns, including more than $20 billion in safety and security spending since 2016.
“Overall, teens tell us that this is a positive part of their lives, but some face challenges online, so we’re working hard to provide parental and teen support and control to reduce potential harm,” Zuckerberg said.
During a charged moment at the hearing, Graham asked Zuckerberg what he would say to the South Carolina Rep.’s family. Brandon Guffey, whose son died by suicide after being sexually harassed on Instagram.
X CEO Linda Yaccarino on Wednesday. AFP via Getty Images “We made careful product design choices to help make our app unfriendly to those who want to harm teenagers,” Chew told Reuters.
“It’s terrible,” Zuckerberg said. “Nobody should do something like that.”
Chew, who touched on China’s TikTok’s relationship with the Chinese government through its parent company ByteDance, said his company had spent more than $2 billion this year alone on “trust and security efforts” and tapped 40,000 workers to address the issue.
“We made careful product design choices to help make our app unfriendly to those who want to harm teenagers,” Chew said in prepared remarks at the start of the hearing.
X’s Yaccarino showed the company’s support for the STOP CSAM Act, which would allow victims of online child sex abuse to sue social media platforms and app stores.
With Postal wire
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
