News

Senate Panel Grills Instagram CEO Over Lack Of Online Protection For Kids

The United States Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security grilled Instagram Chief Executive Officer Adam Mosseri over the platform’s failure to shield kids and teens from harm.

The hearing comes amidst growing anger at tech giants such as Facebook – which owns Instagram – for prioritizing profits over protecting its users from toxic content like hate speech and misinformation.

In his opening statements, Subcommittee Chair Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) tore into Mosseri for skirting responsibility for what posters share.

“The time for self-policing and self-regulation is over. Self-policing depends on trust, and the trust is gone,” Blumenthal said. “The magnitude of these problems requires both and broad solutions and accountability which has been lacking so far.”

Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter!

A week of political news in your in-box.
We find the news you need to know, so you don't have to.

Blumenthal also asked Mosseri to cancel plans to develop a version of Instagram for young children.

Mosseri responded that online safety is a top priority not only for him but for all social media companies.

“Keeping young people safe online is not just about one company,” Mosseri said. “We all want teens to be safe online. The internet isn’t going away, and I believe there’s important work that we can do together – industry and policymakers – to raise the standards across the internet to better serve and protect young people.”

But lawmakers were not buying it.

“Facebook’s own researchers have been warning management, including yourself Mr. Mosseri, for years about Instagram’s harmful impacts on teen’s mental health and well-being,” Blumenthal said. ‘Facebook knew, it did the research, and the studies but it continued to profit.”

Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), the ranking Republican member on the Subcommittee, added that “we fully share the goal of protecting kids and teens online but what we aren’t sure about is how the half-measures you’ve introduced are going to get us to the point where we need to be.”

She also demanded that Mosseri answer for the damage that misuse of Instagram has caused to teens and their families.

“You have broken these children’s lives,” Blackburn said, “and you have broken these parents’ hearts.”

Watch the full hearing below:

Brandon Gage

Recent Posts

VIDEO: Trump Watches SpaceX Launch Alongside Elon Musk & Ted Cruz

https://youtube.com/shorts/YVrfbMZSVRE?feature=share US President-elect Donald Trump drew cheers as he arrived in Texas on Nov. 19 to watch…

2 days ago

Foreign Policy Experts Voice Concern About Trump’s Nomination Of Tulsi Gabbard For Director Of National Intelligence

After President-elect Donald Trump selected Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman, as his nominee for…

3 days ago

Trump’s Pick Of Vaccine-Skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. As Department of Health & Human Services Secretary Alarms Scientific Community

President-elect Donald Trump's announcement that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will be his pick for Department…

4 days ago

VIDEO: President-Elect Donald Trump, Elon Musk & Cabinet Picks Attend UFC Fight In NYC, Crowd Chants “USA”

https://youtube.com/shorts/6CUvTmS87UM?feature=share President-elect Donald Trump arrived to cheers at an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event in…

4 days ago

Trump Pick Of Matt Gaetz For Attorney General Sends Shock Waves Through Capitol

President-elect Donald Trump's nomination of former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida) as his attorney general has sent shockwaves through…

5 days ago

VIDEO: Fights Break Out In Stand During France-Israel Match

https://youtube.com/shorts/TD8RNJl-NBk A fight broke out in one of the stands at the Stade de France…

5 days ago