Social Media Sites TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube Called On By Senate To Hearing On Young User Protection

Raphel Roswell, Tech Times 20 October 2021, 12:10 am

Social media is once again the target of the US Senate; this time, they're being called about the steps they're taking to protect young users.

(Photo : Getty Images )

TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube are now being called in for a hearing on how social media companies can protect their young users, reports CNET. The hearing is scheduled for October 26.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who heads the Commerce Consumer Protection subcommittee, states that with this, Big Tech is facing a so-called "day of reckoning" similar to what Big Tobacco had back in the day.

This hearing comes shortly after Facebook, another social media giant, was called in for questioning when former employee Frances Haugen testified against the company's "harmful" effects on society.

As of late, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube have confirmed that they'll all send representatives.

YouTube, for one, will be sending their Government Affairs and Public Policy VP Leslie Miller, while TikTok is putting forth their Public Policy for the Americas head Michael Beckerman.

Social Media And Their Perceived Negative Effects On Kids' Safety

For the upcoming hearing, the senate is focusing on understanding how these popular social media platforms impact children as a whole, and how the companies themselves can keep their young users safe, writes Forbes.

Children's mental health, for one, can be adversely affected by too much dependence on these networks. But there have been so many studies pointing to the potentially harmful effects of too much social media use on youngsters, that it's deserving of an entire dedicated article.

What Are These Social Media Companies Doing To Address This?

Many social media companies seem to be aware of the power and influence they have on their young users, that they've been implementing numerous ways to protect them.

(Photo : Chesnot/Getty Images)
PARIS, FRANCE - JANUARY 11: In this photo illustration, the logos of social media applications, Facebook, WhatsApp, Messenger, WeChat, Signal, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and Snapchat are displayed on the screen of an iPhone on January 11, 2021 in Paris, France.

TikTok, for one, boasting the highest watch time per user (even higher than YouTube) has been deliberately limiting their teenage users' time on the app with a new function.

They're doing this by disabling notifications for TikTok late at night, so teens won't be inclined to check on their apps even during bedtime, reports CNN. Accounts belonging to teens aged 13-15 will no longer receive notifications after 9 PM, while teens between 16-17 will have their notifications disabled an hour later at 10 PM.

Snapchat, on the other hand, has also introduced a slew of safety features for their young users. The app itself now has a Parental Control feature, which can be activated in a few simple steps, writes SecureTeen.

There's Still A Lot Of Work To Do

Technology will be a massive part of modern kids' lives, and that's not going to change anytime soon. But it's not just the job of Big Tech to keep their young users safe.

That responsibility also partly lies on parents, who will have to keep a close eye on their children's digital behaviors, and make them realize that everything they do online will have a consequence.

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Written by RJ Pierce