January 31, 2024 2:31 PM ET
Recap of key moments from the hearing
From CNN's Brian Huang and Claire Duffy
The Senate Judiciary Committee's shooting of four social media executives produced several notable moments. Here are a few:
Mr. Zuckerberg and Mr. Spiegel personally apologize to the family. Meta CEO Zuckerberg stood in the hearing room and apologized to the families. “I'm sorry for everything you've been through,” he said. “No one should have to go through what your family has had to go through, which is why we are investing so much money so that no one can go through what your family has had to go through. We will continue our industry-wide efforts to prevent this from happening again.”
Mark Zuckerberg testified at the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on “Big Tech and the Online Child Sexual Exploitation Crisis'' and spoke to victims and their families.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images
Snap CEO Evan Spiegel also apologized to families whose children died after purchasing drugs on Snapchat. “We are extremely disappointed that we were unable to prevent these tragedies,” Spiegel said, before detailing some of the efforts the company is taking to protect young users.
(LR) Today's hearing was attended by Discord CEO Jason Citron, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, and X CEO Linda Yaccarino.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
The 'dark side' of social media products is 'too big': Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham on Wednesday grilled the chief executives of four social media companies, saying that while they have developed products that have some positive aspects, they are “too big to bear.” He said he also has a dark side. Graham warned that nothing will change until social media companies are sued.
U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee, speaks today at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on online child sexual exploitation on Capitol Hill. did.
Evelyn Hochstein/Reuters
Hating social media companies is a rare unifying force on Capitol Hill. Wednesday's hearing showed once again the breadth of criticism of social media companies among lawmakers, making it a rare bipartisan topic on Capitol Hill. But despite both parties' desire to go after tech platforms, Congress has yet to pass meaningful legislation to regulate social media companies. Most of the lawsuits are in state legislatures and courts, which have become battlegrounds for new policies such as social media age limits.
(LR) Jason Citron, Discord CEO. Evan Spiegel, CEO of Snap Inc. TikTok CEO Shou Zhi Chu. Linda Yaccarino, CEO of X. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg watched the victim's video before testifying at a U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images
