Meta, TikTok and other big tech companies are not taking child safety seriously enough

“I can’t do it anymore.” That was the last message sent by 16-year-old Chase Nasca, who took his own life in February 2022, after allegedly being exposed to over 1,000 unsolicited videos featuring violence and suicidal messages on TikTok, according to a lawsuit filed by his family.

This was just one of the heart-wrenching stories of online child exploitation, including sexual exploitation, and abuse that brought Democratic and Republican lawmakers in the United States together this week in a rare display of unity, hauling the CEOs of major social media companies in front of a Senate committee to account for their actions.

Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.

Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

Don't have an account? Create Account

In one striking moment, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg apologized to the families who say their children have been harmed, exploited or driven to suicide by social media use. “I’m sorry for everything you have all been through,” Zuckerberg said.

Despite that emotional moment, however, the tech CEOs testifying at the Senate hearing mostly deflected criticism of their products. They argued they were already doing enough, or they tried to blame others, as Zuckerberg did when he said it was up to Apple, not Meta, to ensure age verification for using the Instagram app.

This is nonsense. And the only reason the tech platforms, whether Instagram or TikTok, are able to disregard the harm their platforms cause to young people is because they are funded almost entirely through........

© National Post