Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, whose Meta also owns Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads, had a signature moment during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing called "Big Tech and the Online Child Sexual Exploitation Crisis." Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), noting that families of children and teens exploited on social media were attending, asked Zuckerberg, "Have you apologized to the victims? Would you like to do so now? … They're here. You're on national television." Zuckerberg faced the crowd and said, “I’m sorry for everything you have all been through,” reports USA Today. "No one should have to go through the things that your families have suffered, and this is why we invested so much and are going to continue doing industry-leading efforts to make sure that no one has to go through the types of things that your families had to suffer.
Zuckerberg declined to say that he would compensate the victims. Later at the hearing, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel also apologized to families who had children die after buying drugs using Snapchat. “I’m so sorry that we have not been able to prevent these tragedies,” Spiegel said, before listing some of the company's initiatives to protect young users. Lawmakers have been writing legislation to protect young social media users. "This stand against online child sexual exploitation is bipartisan and absolutely necessary," said panel chairman Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), who has introduced the Stop CSAM (child sexual abuse material) law, which would let victims sue online networks over the issue.