Demand Progress

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing "Big Tech and the Online Child Sexual Exploitation Crisis" featuring testimony from five of the major social media companies. In response, Demand Progress Corporate Power Director Emily Peterson-Cassin issued the following statement:

"We applaud the Senate Judiciary Committee for bringing social media CEOs in to testify on the harms their companies cause or exacerbate for kids and families. This is an important step toward accountability for tech companies, and we hope to see more such hearings as this committee, and others, seek to rein in the unchecked power of these companies.

"As the Committee considers new legislation to address online harms to youth and families, we urge them to stay open minded about types of solutions that could address these and other harms. For example, bills like AICOA and OAMA would weaken the power of large companies to command our attention and our money, and the FTC’s rulemaking on Commercial Surveillance could ensure our privacy and safety against the abuses that stem from a data-hoarding business model. These all have the potential to make the internet a better and safer place for everyone."