Tech CEOs Grilled in Senate Over Child Safety on Platforms

Lawmakers Push for Changes to Section 230, Kids Online Safety Act Gains Traction

In a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, CEOs of Meta, TikTok, Snap, X, and Discord faced questioning over the harms their platforms have caused to children and teenagers, with parents of victims present.
Senators from both parties expressed dissatisfaction with the CEOs' responses, with some calling for changes to Section 230, a law that shields online platforms from being held liable for their users' posts.
The Kids Online Safety Act, a bill that would create a legal duty of care for large platforms to make their services safe for kids, has gained support from nearly half the Senate and was a topic of discussion during the hearing.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg issued an apology to the families of victims, but his remarks were criticized as insincere and insufficient by some attendees.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, released a statement following the hearing, calling for change from social media companies to prevent cyberbullying of kids.