The American Congress experienced a significant moment on January 31. The bosses of the main social networks were heard by a Senate committee on the sometimes dramatic consequences for young people of content published on their platforms. And it didn’t go very well for the most famous of them.
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More often than not, being a high-profile person has mostly advantages, but perhaps less so when it comes to answering questions from a U.S. Senate committee. The bosses of Discord, X, SnapChat and TikTok are here. But the star of social media stars, the undisputed number 1, is Mark Zuckerberg, the boss of Meta. When he is challenged by the Republican senator from South Carolina, Lindsay Graham, he quickly understands that he is going to have a bad day. “ Mr. Zuckerberg, you and the companies before us, I know this is not your initial intention, but you have blood on your hands. You have a product that kills people », Launched the American senator.
“ I’m sorry »
In the room, families of adolescents who have been victims of online harassment, blackmail or sexual exploitation applaud and hold up portraits of their children who have committed suicide. Missouri Republican Senator Josh Hawley asks the head of Facebook and Instagram if he wants to apologize. Mark Zuckerberg turns to the audience and does so. “ I’m sorry for everything you’ve been through, for the hardships your families have endured. This is why we invest so much. And we will continue our industry-leading efforts to ensure no one has to go through the same pain as your families. “, declared the co-founder of Facebook.
The solution suggested by several senators is that social media finally be responsible for the content they host. And in the meantime, for prosecution to be possible, there is public humiliation.
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