Meta Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg has apologised to families at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on kids' online safety in the US.
When Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) pressed Zuckerberg to apologise to families who attended the hearing, calling attention to kids who were targeted by predators online, Zuckerberg offered his apology.
"I'm sorry for everything you have all been through," he told the families in attendance at the hearing late on Wednesday.
"No one should go through the things that your families have suffered and this is why we invest so much and we are going to continue doing industry wide efforts to make sure no one has to go through the things your families have had to suffer," the Meta CEO added.
During the hearing, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel informed that 20 million teenagers use Snapchat in the US and that around 200,000 parents use its Family Center supervision controls.
He also shared that approximately 400,000 teen accounts have been linked to a parent’s account through Family Center, reports TechCrunch.
Snapchat's Family Center allows parents to see who their teens are friends with on the app and who they have been communicating with.
Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif) had asked the CEOs of Snap, Meta, TikTok, X and Discord to disclose how many minors were using their platforms.
Zuckerberg said he was unable to provide specific numbers, but said that the company runs “extensive ad campaigns” to raise awareness of its parental supervision tools.
X CEO Linda Yaccarino shared that less than 1 per cent of the platform’s 90 million US users are between the ages of 13 and 17.
"Being a 14-month-old company we have reprioritised child protection and safety measures," Yaccarino said at the hearing.
"We have just begun to talk about and discuss how we can enhance those with parental controls."
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew said he was unable to share specifics, but that TikTok was "one of the first platforms" to give parents supervision controls.
Discord CEO Jason Citron said that Discord raises awareness of its parental controls through promotional videos and in-app prompts.
The US is mulling the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) that would require social platforms to take further steps to protect children online.
Indian stock market opens in red as Israel-Iran tensions rise
The Indian benchmark indices opened sharply lower on Friday as tensions escalated between Israel and Iran. Heaving selling was seen in the auto, IT, Financial service and PSU Bank sectors in the early trade.
Israel launches preemptive strikes on Iran, major explosion heard in Tehran
Israel launched major airstrikes against Iran in the early hours of Friday morning, significantly escalating tensions in the region and raising the specter of a broader conflict between the long-standing rivals.
Bangladesh should rein in terrorists: India after vandalisation of Tagore's ancestral home
India on Thursday strongly condemned the vandalisation of the ancestral home of Rabindranath Tagore - historically called the Rabindra Kachharibari - in the Sirajganj district of Bangladesh,
Russian President Putin, other world leaders express grief over Ahmedabad plane crash
Condolences from leaders across the world continue to pour in for the people affected after an Air India flight bound for London, carrying over 240 passengers, crashed shortly after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport on Thursday afternoon.
Scenes emerging of London-bound plane crashing in Ahmedabad devastating: British PM
Several global leaders, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, on Thursday expressed shock and grief after an Air India flight bound for London, carrying over 240 passengers crashed shortly after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport,
EAM Jaishankar meets Macron, thanks French President for backing India's fight against terrorism
External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar on Thursday called on French President Emmanuel Macron during his official visit to France, conveying greetings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and expressing gratitude for France's support in India's fight against terrorism.
US on high alert over possible Israeli strike on Iran: Reports
The Trump administration is fearing that Israel may act unilaterally without Washington's consent if negotiations between the US and Iran collapse, according to the Washington Post.
After LA, protests spread to New York, Chicago and other US cities
Demonstrations against the Trump administration's immigration crackdown have intensified and spread far beyond Los Angeles, with thousands of people gathering in at least two dozen cities, US media reported.