The allegations from Arturo Béjar, a former Facebook engineer who later returned to the company as a consultant, came before a Senate subcommittee Tuesday.
Senators on both sides of the aisle doubled down on the need for Congress to take urgent action, specifically rallying around the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA).
“No parent or child can trust Facebook, or Meta, after this whistleblower’s powerful account, laying bare their denial and deception,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), chair of the subcommittee and a lead sponsor of KOSA.
“Congress must act. It must pass the Kids Online Safety Act,” Blumenthal added.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), the ranking member of the subcommittee, said Congress should have taken action “years ago.”
Béjar alleged Meta executives know about the harm to kids and potential mitigation solutions but chose not to act.
“We cannot trust them with our children and it’s time for Congress to act,” Béjar said.
Meta pushed back strongly on Béjar’s allegations and assessment. Company spokesperson Andy Stone said that there have been changes made to Meta-owned platforms as a result of surveys like the ones Béjar highlighted.
Read more in a full report at TheHill.com.
