Mark Zuckerberg, the co-founder and CEO of Facebook, issued a sincere apology to parents during a social media hearing at the United States Senate.

Prompted by Republican Senator Josh Hawley, Zuckerberg rose to speak and directly engaged with families displaying images of their children allegedly harmed by social media.

At the beginning of the hearing, a video was presented by the committee featuring children sharing their experiences of bullying on social media platforms.

Senators recounted distressing stories of young individuals taking their own lives, citing instances of extortion by sexual predators after sharing sensitive photos.

“Would you like now to apologize to the victims who have been harmed by your product?” Hawley pointed out, emphasizing that the proceedings were being aired live on television.

In response, Mark Zuckerberg rose from his seat, turned, and spoke directly to the families.

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“I’m sorry for everything you have all been through. No one should go through the things that your families have suffered and this is why we invest so much and we are going to continue doing industry-wide efforts to make sure no one has to go through the things your families have had to suffer,” he said.

He also expressed their willingness to collaborate with legislators, parents, non-profit organizations, and law enforcement to safeguard minors.

However, Zuckerberg refrained from committing to Senator Hawley's proposal of establishing a compensation fund for victims.

As lawmakers increasingly advocate for initiatives to address the proliferation of child sexual abuse images online and to enhance technology platforms' accountability in protecting children, the Senate hearing emerges as a crucial step in pursuing legislative action after years of regulatory inaction by Congress.

Hawley strongly condemned Mark Zuckerberg in a heated confrontation, asserting, “Your product is killing people,” this sharp critique came during a tense exchange, as Zuckerberg, whose company oversees the social media platforms Facebook and Instagram, faced intense scrutiny.