Bipartisan committee criticizes social media platforms amidst grieving parents
A public hearing held last week by a bipartisan panel of Democrat and Republican members of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on January 31, 2024, addressed the issue of cyberbullying. Headed by Illinois representative Dick Durbin, the focus of the hearing has been criticized for a perceived tendency to blaming social media platforms, with senators avoiding direct criticism of parents who could be seen as contributing to the problem.
Chaired by U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin, a liberal Democrat from Illinois, the committee accused owners of social media platforms, including Mark Zuckerberg of META (Facebook), Linda Yaccarino of Twitter, Evan Spiegel of Snap, Shou Zi Chew of TikTok, and Jason Citron of Discord, of not doing enough to prevent cyberbullying of children.
While committee members, including Republican senators like Josh Hawley, John Cornyn, and Lindsey Graham, expressed respect and empathy towards grieving parents in attendance, they directed criticism and perceived bullying towards the social media company owners, sidestepping the role of parents in the issue.