‘I’m sorry for everything you’ve been through’: Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg apologises to families in fiery US Senate hearing

Top executives from Meta, TikTok, X, and other social media giants faced tough questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding the safety of children on their platforms.
Witnesses and lawmakers painted a stark picture of the online landscape, citing concerns ranging from sexual predation to cyberbullying, affecting young users.
Emotional testimonies
The hearing unfolded with heart-wrenching stories from families, highlighting the personal tragedies tied to social media misuse.
The session commenced with the committee showcasing a video featuring testimonies from children discussing their victimization on social media platforms. One child, whose identity was concealed in the video, stated, "I was sexually exploited on Facebook."
In the venue, numerous parents were present, clutching photographs of their children who, they claimed, had suffered due to social media. During the hearing, these parents expressed their discontent vocally, particularly targeting Zuckerberg, the head of the company that operates Facebook and Instagram, with jeers during his initial remarks and interjecting with remarks at various junctures of the proceedings.
Senator Dick Durbin criticized the tech leaders for prioritizing profit over the safety of young users, spotlighting their design choices and insufficient safety investments.
Zuckerberg's apology
In a tense exchange, Meta's CEO Mark Zuckerberg faced Senator Josh Hawley's probing questions, ultimately offering an apology to the families present.
In a heated question and answer session with Mark Zuckerberg, Republican Missouri Senator Josh Hawley asked the Meta CEO if he has personally compensated any of the victims and their families for what they have been through.
“I don't think so,” Zuckerberg replied.
“There's families of victims here,” Hawley said. “Would you like to apologize to them?”
Zuckerberg stood, turned away from his microphone and the senators, and directly addressed the parents in the gallery.
“I’m sorry for everything you have all been through. No one should go through the things that your families have suffered,” he said, adding that Meta continues to invest and work on “industrywide efforts” to protect children.
Zuckerberg testified along with X CEO Linda Yaccarino, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew and Discord CEO Jason Citron.
'You have blood on your hands'
One lawmaker accused the companies of having "blood on their hands" for failing to protect children from escalating threats of sexual predation on their platforms.
Yaccarino from X expressed support for the STOP CSAM Act, a legislative proposal introduced by Durbin aimed at making tech companies liable for child sexual abuse material, permitting victims to pursue legal action against tech platforms and app stores.
This legislation is among various initiatives targeting child safety, yet none have been enacted into law.
X, previously known as Twitter, has faced intense scrutiny, especially after Elon Musk's acquisition and the subsequent relaxation of content moderation policies. The platform recently made headlines for blocking searches related to pop icon Taylor Swift, following the circulation of fabricated sexually explicit images of her.
In a related development, TikTok CEO Chew made his first appearance before US lawmakers since March. The session revisited the intense scrutiny the Chinese-owned short video app faced, with some allegations pointing to its detrimental effects on children's mental health.
Chew revealed that TikTok's monthly American user base had surged to over 170 million, marking an increase of 20 million from the previous year's figures.
Neveen Radwan, a parent whose daughter suffered from anorexia linked to social media content, voiced her skepticism about the effectiveness of the CEOs' promises.
Despite expressing disappointment in the responses, Radwan acknowledged a tangible change in the hearing's atmosphere, hinting at a growing awareness among senators.
Senator Hawley pushed Zuckerberg for accountability, while Senator Lindsay Graham signaled a readiness to collaborate across party lines to address these pressing issues.
While the executives showcased their platforms' safety measures, Snapchat notably endorsed a federal bill aimed at increasing accountability for harmful content.
Advocates like Zamaan Qureshi urged for independent regulation, stressing that the companies' repeated failures to safeguard minors are unacceptable.
The hearing revealed a rare consensus among senators, signaling a potential for legislative action to ensure the safety of young users online.
Several states have initiated lawsuits against Meta, accusing it of knowingly designing addictive and harmful features for children.
Internal communications from Meta revealed a growing concern about the impact of their platforms on youth mental health, yet responses from the company's top executives remain unclear.
Arturo Béjar, a former Meta engineer, testified about the company's knowledge of the harm inflicted on teens, criticizing its lack of commitment to address these issues and prioritize children's well-being.
(With inputs from agencies)