Social Media CEO Hearing: Main Takeaways

What's the story?

• Social media CEOs – Meta, TikTok, Snap, Discord, and X (formerly known as Twitter) – testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday regarding the risk their sites pose to American youth. 
• Wednesday's hearing portrayed a bipartisan consensus among lawmakers' criticisms of social media companies. Senators and Representatives from both sides of the aisle expressed shared concerns about how the platforms are impacting society. 
• The hearing was emotional for many families of victims of social media who were present, leading to apologies from two CEOs.

The main takeaways

The role of the families and the victims 

• The families, relatives, and friends of victims who had suffered or even lost their lives as a result of social media usage, and many victims themselves, played a prominent role in the proceedings.
• The families cried, laughed, and hissed in reaction to the CEOs' testimonies, underscoring the gravity of their concerns and demands for accountability. 

The apologies

• During the hearing, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg personally apologized to the families present in the room, acknowledging the pain and suffering they had endured due to the negative effects of social media platforms on young people. He said:

"I'm sorry for everything you have all been through. No one should go through the things that your families have suffered and this is why we invest so much and we are going to continue doing industry wide efforts to make sure no one has to go through the things your families have had to suffer."

• Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) urged Zuckerberg to "compensate" the families whose children have been impacted by his platforms. 
• Snap CEO Evan Spiegel also apologized after being prompted by Sen. Laphonza Butler (D-Cali.). Spiegel said:

​​"I'm so sorry that we have not been able to prevent these tragedies."

Outrage over tech practices 

• Several senators expressed their outrage over the practices of major tech companies failing to protect young users. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) confronted Zuckerberg on internal Meta figures estimating the lifetime value of a teen user at $270. Blackburn invited a group of youth advocates to stand, revealing t-shirts with the slogan "I am worth more than $270." Blackburn said to Zuckerberg:

"Children are not your priority. Children are your product."

• Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said to the Meta CEO:

"You're in the foothills of creepy. You track people who aren't even Facebook users. I just wonder if our technology is greater than our humanity in the interest of this funnel."

TikTok's connection to China

• Lawmakers grilled TikTok CEO Shou Chew on the company's association with China through its parent company, ByteDance. Chew was asked how much access and influence the platform gives the Chinese government. 
• Chew told Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) that it was "a coincidence" that he was appointed CEO of the platform a day after the Chinese Communist Party China Internet investment fund received a seat on the ByteDance subsidiary board.

Are you concerned about the risk social media poses to children and teens?

-Jamie Epstein

(Photo credit: Tech Policy Press)