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Facebook founder and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg expressed an apology to parents who asserted that Instagram had a role in their children's suicides or exploitation during a hearing titled “Big Tech and the Online Child Sexual Exploitation Crisis.”

Lawmakers grilled Zuckerberg and other social media CEOs on their platforms' safety.

In response to a direct request from US Senate Judiciary Committee member Josh Hawley to apologize to affected parents, Zuckerberg conveyed, "I’m sorry for everything you’ve all gone through. It’s terrible. No one should have to go through the things that your families have suffered." Although not speaking directly into the microphone, his words were audible on the live stream.

Parents, displaying photos of their children, attended the hearing wearing blue ribbons advocating for the Kids Online Safety Act with the message "STOP Online Harms! Pass KOSA!" Audible hisses were directed at Zuckerberg during the hearing, reflecting the ongoing criticism regarding child safety on Meta's platforms.

Zuckerberg assured parents of Meta's commitment to substantial investments and leading industry efforts to prevent similar incidents in the future. However, senators posed tough questions on issues like nonconsensual explicit content, drug-related deaths, and the alleged intentional creation of "psychologically manipulative" features on Facebook and Instagram.

A lawsuit against Meta by numerous states claimed that the company concealed internal data harmful to young users and intentionally designed addictive features. Richard Blumenthal, another member of the senate committee, cited emails from Meta’s global affairs director, Nick Clegg, expressing concerns about the company's safety efforts.

Josh Hawley referred to a 2021 Wall Street Journal investigation reporting that Meta knew about the negative mental health effects of Instagram on teenagers. Zuckerberg disputed the details as "cherry-picked" and not necessarily factual.

Zuckerberg also faced questions about layoffs in Meta's trust and safety division. Senior senator Peter Welch expressed concerns about the impact of layoffs on those departments, while Thom Tillis urged CEOs to prioritize safety and emphasized the continuous need for efforts to reduce harm on their platforms.

The hearing highlighted the ongoing challenges social media platforms face in ensuring the safety and well-being of young users, with lawmakers advocating for legislative measures such as the Kids Online Safety Act.