Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Meta and owner of the Facebook and Instagram brands, delivered an emotional apology during his US Senate hearing on Wednesday. The billionaire faces criticism over children’s online safety.
On Wednesday, Mark Zuckerberg was seriously shaken by Democratic and Republican senators, who for once had decided to stand together. The founder of Meta, which owns the social networks Facebook and Instagram, was invited to make a sincere apology to the families of victims of cyberharassment and online predators, before the American assembly. Accused of having “ blood on hands », the billionaire suddenly stood up to address the families present.
“Your product is killing people,” says a senator to Mark Zuckerberg
“ Do you want to apologize to people who have been harmed by your products? They’re right here, you’re live on television, would you like to apologize », Launched Senator Josh Hawley to Mark Zuckerberg, exerting quite striking pressure on him, pushing him to react.
After a few seconds of hesitation, almost shyness, the creator of Facebook got up from his seat and spoke, turning towards the victims. “ I’m sorry for everything you’ve been through. No one should have to go through all the things your families went through. And that’s why we’re investing so much, and why we’re going to continue to make efforts across the entire industry, to create a safe environment for the community. », he expressed, both embarrassed and moved to face the victims or their parents.
But that was not enough to temper the anger of the Republican senator from Missouri, who had decided to bring together the leaders of Meta, TikTok, X and Discord on Wednesday in Washington. “ Your product is killing people (…), you are a billionaire, are you going to compensate these people, where is your money? You are responsible, you made billions thanks to all these people “, he added, prolonging Mark Zuckerberg’s embarrassment.
Apologies that are not enough
The senators had only one idea in mind: to push leaders, including Mr. Zuckerberg, to respond to concerns about the protection of children and to recognize their responsibilities. Senate members presented internal Meta documents revealing that the company’s founder refused to strengthen adolescent risk control teams.
The session was also marked by poignant testimonies from parents, accompanied by a video on online bullying, a subject that allowed Democrats and Republicans to agree. Mark Zuckerberg was also accused of having “ blood on your hands », and to hold potentially destructive tools for young people.
Shou Zi Chew, the general manager of TikTok, spoke about his situation of “ father of three children », to indicate understanding of the parents’ concern, which was also not enough to calm the anger of the senators. A glimmer of hope is nevertheless emerging, with the “Kids Online Safety Act” bill, aimed at protecting children from algorithms that induce anxiety or depression. If the X and Snap networks support the project, Meta, TikTok and Discord invoke freedom of expression to oppose it. The outcome of this legislative battle could shape the future of the regulation of online platforms in the United States.
Source : Fortune
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