A US senator accuses Zuckerberg of "having blood on his hands" for child abuse on social networks

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham criticized Mark Zuckerberg, the executive director of Meta, accusing him of having “blood on his hands” due to the destructive and dangerous nature of social networks, which he believes are destroying lives and undermining democracy.

During a hearing in the United States Senate, Zuckerberg apologized to a group of parents who claimed that their children became victims of sexual abuse through social media platforms. However, he denied the notion that social networks have a negative impact on the mental health of minors.

CEOs from other technology giants such as Snap, X (formerly Twitter), Discord, and TikTok also testified during the hearing to discuss the measures taken to prevent child sexual abuse on their platforms.

Zuckerberg defended Meta against abuse allegations and cited a report from the National Academies of Sciences that found no scientific evidence linking social media use to worsened mental health in adolescents.

However, his statement created a commotion among individuals who had experienced harassment on social media. As a result, upon the request of the congressmen, Zuckerberg publicly apologized to these individuals.

During the hearing, the witnesses acknowledged their responsibility to ensure the safety of their respective communities and expressed their willingness to work on this issue and collaborate with lawmakers.

When questioned about their support for proposed bills, the witnesses did not provide clear answers, leading some congressmen to criticize their lack of response.

Senator Graham reproached the witnesses, stating that relying on them to solve the problem would be futile.

The CEOs of X, TikTok, Discord, and Snap shared their respective platforms’ efforts to enhance security measures, including large investments in technology and the use of artificial intelligence to detect and prevent criminal activities.

Democratic Senator Richard Durbin remarked that if the current measures were effective, the hearing would not have been necessary.

Congress has several child protection bills under consideration, including the “Stop CSAM Act,” which aims to combat the proliferation of child sexual abuse material online, provide support for victims, and hold platforms accountable.