The leaders of major tech companies, including X, Meta, Snap, TikTok, and Discord, have been called to testify before a Senate Judiciary hearing addressing online child sexual exploitation.
Senators Dick Durbin and Lindsey Graham announced on Monday that they issued subpoenas to the CEOs of X, Discord, and Snap, while expecting Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew to testify voluntarily.
Senate Judiciary Meets to Combat Online Child Sexual Exploitation
In a joint statement, the senators expressed their intent to compel the executives to testify at a hearing scheduled for December 6, providing them with an opportunity to explain their failures to protect kids.
However, representatives for the senators noted that Linda Yaccarino of X, Jason Citron of Discord, and Evan Spiegel of Snap had been less cooperative.
Discord and X reportedly refused electronic service of the subpoenas, prompting the involvement of the US Marshals Service to personally serve the legal documents.
Wifredo Fernandez, head of US and Canada government affairs at X, stated that the company is working to comply with the subpoena and emphasized their commitment to child safety online.
Snap, in a statement, mentioned that Snap’s CEO has already agreed to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee, and discussions are ongoing to coordinate potential dates for the testimony.
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Senate Summons Tech Titans: CEOs of X, Meta, Snap, TikTok
A TikTok spokesperson confirmed that conversations with the committee were still ongoing. Meta declined to comment, and Discord had not responded to a request for comment at the time of reporting.
The scrutiny faced by these tech giants stems from concerns about the spread of material depicting the exploitation of children and the use of platforms by adults to groom minors.
NBC News identified 35 cases in the past six years where adults were prosecuted on charges related to kidnapping, grooming, or sexual assault allegedly involving communications on Discord.
This summons for testimony highlights the increasing pressure on major tech platforms to address and prevent online child sexual exploitation, as lawmakers seek accountability and transparency in the face of ongoing challenges surrounding the safety of young users on these platforms.
The hearing scheduled for December 6 is expected to shed light on the actions taken by these companies to protect children and address the failures that have been identified.
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