Senate Judiciary Committee to Hold June Hearing With Tech CEOs on Child Online Safety

Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley is planning a hearing next month with four technology company chief executives to examine their efforts to protect children on social media platforms. The June 23 hearing comes as the companies have added some privacy and safety features for younger users but lawmakers continue to consider additional federal requirements.

Grassley, a Republican from Iowa, is seeking testimony from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew and Snap CEO Evan Spiegel.

Meta owns Instagram, Facebook, Threads and WhatsApp. Alphabet is the parent company of Google and YouTube. “Americans deserve 2know what these companies r doing to keep kids&families safe online,” Mr.

Grassley posted on social media in his signature shorthand style. A March 24 verdict from a New Mexico jury found Meta liable for $375 million in civil penalties for violating the state’s consumer protection laws by misleading users about platform safety.

The next day, a Los Angeles jury found Meta and Google collectively responsible for $6 million in damages. The jury determined the companies designed their platforms to engage young users without sufficient regard for their well-being. A Tennessee Republican who chairs the subcommittee said the rulings demonstrate that social media companies intentionally design platforms to addict children and profit from them.

The senator has advocated for the Kids Online Safety Act, which would establish a duty of care standard for platform design and algorithms to reduce online harms. The full committee hearing is expected to press the CEOs on current safety measures and whether further changes are needed.