Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg apologizes to families of children affected by social media

During the US Senate hearing on the influence of social media on children, several prominent CEOs from major social media and messaging companies, including Linda Yaccarino from X, Evan Spiegel from Snapchat, Shou Zi Chew from TikTok, Jason Citron from Discord, and Mark Zuckerberg from Meta Platforms, were in attendance. The hearing was prompted by lawmakers’ allegations that these companies failed to adequately protect children from the various risks associated with their platforms. In a heartfelt moment, Zuckerberg, visibly emotional, publicly apologized to the affected families present at the hearing. Find out more about Meta CEO’s apology during the hearing.

Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s apology

According to a DWnews video post on Instagram, Zuckerberg apologized to the family, saying: “I’m sorry for everything you’ve been through. It’s horrible. No one should have to go through what your families have gone through, and that’s why we’re investing so much and continuing our industry-wide efforts to make sure no one having to go through what your families have had to go through.”

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The apology came after Senator Josh Hawley asked Zuckerberg to face the families and apologize on national television. Families present at the hearing claimed that they were victims of the influence of social media, which affected their children’s lives. The families were present with photos of their children when Zuckerberg confronted them and said “I’m sorry for everything”.

In response to the testimony of parents who lost their children, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, who chairs the committee, said, referring to social media platforms: “They are responsible for many of the dangers our children face online. Their design choices, their failure to adequately invest in trust and security, their continued pursuit of commitment and profit from basic security have all put our children and grandchildren at risk.”

Meta’s CEO added in a blog post: “We’ve made a lot of mistakes building this feature, but we’ve made even more when handling them.”