new york
CNN
—
Wednesday’s online youth safety hearing with some of the world’s biggest social media CEOs was unlike many held in recent years. But it wasn’t because the executives said anything.
Instead, after years of talking, it was the families sitting behind them who ultimately set the tone for a hearing focused on taking action to protect young people’s social media. , many of whom had photos of children who had been harmed or killed after engaging with them online. user. The presence of parents in the hearing room served as a stark reminder of what happened, prompting rare apologies from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Snap CEO Evan Spiegel.
During the hearing, Mr. Zuckerberg and Mr. Spiegel, along with the CEOs of TikTok, Discord and X, were asked to meet with families affected by the platforms. And Wednesday night, after the incident, some parents said the apology wasn’t enough.
Bridget Knolling, a mother in the room whose son died from an accidental fentanyl overdose after ordering pills on Snapchat in 2020, said of Spiegel’s apology: “I think it’s very fake. There was a lack of heart,” he told CNN. “I feel like to them our children are just victims, pawns in a game to make money,” she said.
By Friday, only X and Discord had indicated plans to meet with families and parent advocacy groups after the hearing, but those promises were vague on details.
“Yes, we will actively engage with all senators and absolutely work to determine their relationship with the family,” Joe Benarroch, X’s director of business operations, said in an email. X CEO Linda Yaccarino thanked the “parents, families and young people” who attended the hearing. post on the platform.she too He pledged to support several bills mentioned during the hearing.
“No family should have to go through the pain of having a loved one fall victim to online sexual exploitation,” Clint Smith, Discord’s head of legal, policy and safety, said in an emailed statement to CNN. No,” he said. “We recognize the solemn and urgent responsibility we have to keep our users safe, especially our youth. This is at the heart of everything we do at Discord. We are committed to working with the industry on this shared priority. We will continue to work with our partners, experts, parents, law enforcement, as well as Congress and the Administration.”
The company said Snap’s Spiegel has previously met with parents who lost their children to fentanyl overdoses after purchasing drugs on the platform. Snap also partnered with advocacy group Song for Charlie, a family-run nonprofit organization to educate teens about the dangers of fake drugs that can be laced with fentanyl and deadly drugs. Promotes education.
In response to questions about whether Mr. Mehta and Mr. Zuckerberg plan to meet with their families, the company referred CNN to a blog post it published after the hearing detailing existing youth safety measures and parental monitoring tools. did. TikTok did not respond to a request for comment.
Whether or not companies ultimately agree to cooperate, these parents could be the driving force behind continued efforts to make social media platforms safer for children and teens. is high.
“Nothing can match the eloquence and power of a very human statement about loss and pain, grief and harm,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said at a press conference after Wednesday’s hearing. He addressed them. “Thanks to you, we can win this battle.”
“I feel much more hopeful about this than I’ve had in years,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota, told CNN on Wednesday night. [were] Standing proudly behind the CEO. ”
Less than 24 hours after the hearing ended, parents have already asked senators to vote on at least one of the many bills they tried to get tech CEOs to support during the hearing. I was encouraging them to do it.
“We are all counting on [New York Democrat Sen.] Chuck Schumer wants to bring the Kids Online Safety Act to the floor, but for all the shouting and screaming…unless Schumer moves the bill, nothing will be done.” Accidental Fentanyl Overdose said Sam Chapman, an advocate for parents who lost their sons in . He bought the pills on Snapchat, he told CNN on Thursday. “Words are cheap, and actions speak louder than words. Now is the time for social media companies and lawmakers to act.”
The Kids Online Safety Act is a high-profile bill that would force technology companies to take steps to design and operate their platforms in ways that reduce certain potential harms to young users.
On Thursday, Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley said he would try to force a vote next week on a bill aimed at protecting children from online sexual exploitation. The bill, known as the STOP CSAM Act, is co-sponsored by the committee’s Democratic chairman, Dick Durbin.
Hawley told reporters he would seek to pass the bill unanimously next week. This means that even one senator can block its passage.
“We just saw yesterday the extent of this and the damage these platforms have done,” he said. “Yesterday, we saw Mark Zuckerberg finally apologize to these families, and an apology is great. But now is the time for Congress to act and hold these platforms accountable. It’s time to give these families the ability…I think yesterday could be a turning point, if we’re willing and it’s time to act, to make it a turning point, right now.”
–CNN’s Brian Fung and Morgan Rimmer contributed to this report.