On Jan. 31, CEOs of Meta, TikTok, X, Discord and Snapchat went before the Senate Judiciary Committee due to growing concern for child safety and exploitation online. The four-hour hearing focused on whether or not these companies would support a package of child safety bills working its way through congress. During the line of questioning, Linda Yaccarino, Evan Spiegel, and Jason Citron, CEOs of X, Snapchat, and Discord, respectively, received the least amount of pressure compared to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew.
In a notable question-answer session, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) questioned Chew’s citizenship, opinions on world leaders, genocide, and affiliations with the Chinese communist party. Cotton then referred to TikTok as “a tool of the Chinese communist party” that is impacting America’s youth. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) added to this by claiming TikTok was purposely showing anti-Israel propaganda and self-harm.
Zuckerberg’s product was repeatedly referred to as a device used to kill people and a threat to democracy. Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) gave Zuckerberg a series of questions which led him to apologizing for the impact his apps have caused on these families. Hawley urged Zuckerberg to set up a compensation fund with Zuckerberg’s own money, and take personal responsibility for his product’s effects.
Toby Beute, a junior at Millbrook, believes there should be more restrictions and regulations on social media. Beute refers to social media as a trend, where young children are dying to appear older. Beute also commented on Sen. Tom Cotton’s communist questions saying that they were “…unrelated and did not need to happen.” When asked about whether or not he agrees if social media is “a device to kill people,” he responded: “I think that’s a stretch… it is detrimental overall and I think that it’s not good for mental health at all because reliance on these apps is not good in any form…”
Capella, a junior at Millbrook, commented on Sen. Ted Cruz’s statement on Tik-Toks’s relation with anti-Israel propaganda. Stating the restrictions on the app and the potential censorship, “is not needed especially since it’s a social media app, people can say what they want to.”
When asked if Zuckerberg should take personal responsibility and set up a compensation fund, both Beute and Capella agreed with the idea. Beute believes that morals might be questionable, however Zuckerberg is wealthy and “…does not need all the money that he has and there are a lot of ways he can use it for better.” Capella further added, “I don’t see any other solution to this issue, he caused this situation. I think he should take responsibility, because it is his platform.” While both individuals hold Zuckerberg accountable, the debate on whether or not these CEOs should hold personal liability and responsibility is still up to decision.
