A new probe from the US Senate is set to open, centering on the online child sexual exploitation case which centers on social media platforms allegedly failing to protect children. With this, the Senate called upon Big Tech CEOs to testify and explain their actions, with three tech companies, Discord, Snap, and X (formerly Twitter) issued subpoenas, with two platforms seeing their executives' voluntary appearance.
Senate's Online Child Sexual Exploitation Summons Big Tech CEOs
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A release from Illinois Senator Dick Durbin claims that it is now summoning Big Tech CEOs to appear at the hearing regarding online child sexual exploitation, with some companies served with subpoenas. Senator Durbin is joined by U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, in this probe.
The subpoenas were given to Discord CEO Jason Citron, Snap, Inc. CEO Evan Spiegel, and X CEO Linda Yaccarino.
On the other hand, Meta's Mark Zuckerberg and TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew have agreed to testify and participate in this voluntarily.
"At our February hearing on protecting children's safety online, we promised Big Tech that they'd have their chance to explain their failures to protect kids. Now's that chance. Hearing from the CEOs of some of the world's largest social media companies will help inform the Committee's efforts to address the crisis of online child sexual exploitation," said Sen. Durbin and Graham in their joint statement.
Read Also: Digital Services Act: EU Demands Child Safety Compliance Data from TikTok, YouTube
When is the Hearing Taking Place? Here's What to Know
The hearing for Big Tech to explain their side will take place early next month, December 6, giving these subpoenaed and voluntarily participating executives a chance to air their sides. According to Engadget, X and Discord denied the service of the subpoenas on behalf of their CEOs, and is requiring the committee to enlist the assistance of the US Marshals Service.
Big Tech, Social Media, and Children's Harm Online
Towards the end of October, there has been a significant move by TikTok and Snapchat to remove AI-generated child sexual abuse images circulating on its platform, with both platforms pledging to go against these content.
In many cases until now, there have been claims and suits against Big Tech for their failure to protect children online, with parents, politicians, organizations, and more gunning against their operations.
This case of children's harm online does not stem from the United States only, as other nations have notified and sued platforms over the years for their safety measures for minors. Meta is among the most notorious companies regarding this issue, with whistleblowers testifying against their former company's actions that allegedly led to these online dangers.
Massive moves toward making social media and online platforms safe for children have been ongoing, but there were claims that on some platforms, these were only promises that were not fulfilled. Soon, the US Senate will look into this cases again, with its current focus centering on online child sexual exploitation cases, with Big Tech CEOs summoned to explain what happened.
Related Article: Big Tech Companies Team Up to Protect Children from Online Abuse
