Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg was in a tight spot during a US Senate hearing on large social media companies not doing enough to protect teens from sexual exploitation on their platforms. The Meta chief executive faced tough questions from various Senators, including Marsha Blackburn. She alleged that Meta’s social media sites are trying to be “the premiere sex trafficking site in the country.” Zuckerberg pushed back the claim.
Blackburn asked how Instagram can claim to not facilitate “illegal activities” when it “failed to remove the content pertaining to the sale of minors. And it is happening once every two minutes in this country.”
Zuckerberg replied: “Of course not! Senator. That’s ridiculous.”
“No it’s not ridiculous,” Blackburn said, questioning why Meta didn’t “take it [content pertaining to the sale of minors] down”.
“We do take it down,” Zuckerberg said, explaining that the company does more work to take such content down but Blackburn cut him off saying, “No. You’re not.” She also asked the top executives of other social media companies, including TikTok, X (formerly Twitter) and Snap, to “come to the table and work with us (the government)” on this issue.
Watch the clip here:
Blackburn asked how Instagram can claim to not facilitate “illegal activities” when it “failed to remove the content pertaining to the sale of minors. And it is happening once every two minutes in this country.”
Zuckerberg replied: “Of course not! Senator. That’s ridiculous.”
“No it’s not ridiculous,” Blackburn said, questioning why Meta didn’t “take it [content pertaining to the sale of minors] down”.
“We do take it down,” Zuckerberg said, explaining that the company does more work to take such content down but Blackburn cut him off saying, “No. You’re not.” She also asked the top executives of other social media companies, including TikTok, X (formerly Twitter) and Snap, to “come to the table and work with us (the government)” on this issue.
Watch the clip here:
Zuckerberg apologises to victim’s parents
During a questioning session with Senator Josh Hawley, Zuckerberg was asked whom did he fire over an instance where kids were subjected to sexual exploitation on the platform.
“I’m not gonna answer that,” Zuckerberg replied. He was then asked whether Meta has compensated any of the victims and their families for the challenges they have faced. “I don’t think so,” Zuckerberg said.
Hawley then went ahead and asked Zuckerberg whether he “would like to apologise to them?”. Zuckerberg then got up, turned towards the parents of victims in attendance, and apologised.
“I’m sorry for everything you have all been through. No one should go through the things that your families have suffered,” he said.