Meta’s chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, apologized this Wednesday (31) to families at a United States Senate hearing on the impact of social networks on children.
Urged by Republican Senator Josh Hawley, Zuckerberg stood up and spoke to families holding images of their children who they said had been harmed by social media.
After the hearing began, the committee played a video in which children spoke about their experiences being bullied on social media platforms. Senators told stories of young people who took their own lives after being extorted for money after sharing photos with sexual predators.
“Would you now like to apologize to the victims who were harmed by your product?” Hawley asked, mentioning that the hearing was being broadcast live on television.
Zuckerberg stood up, turned around and addressed the families. “I apologize for everything you have been through. No one should have to go through the things their families have suffered and that is why we have invested so much and will continue industry-wide efforts to ensure no one goes through the things their families have had to suffer,” he said.
Hawley aggressively criticized Zuckerberg during a heated exchange. “Your product is killing people,” Hawley told Zuckerberg, whose company owns the social media platforms Facebook and Instagram.