Democratic senator tells tech executives being 'different from Facebook' isn't enough: 'That bar is in the gutter'


Executives from TikTok, YouTube, and Snapchat faced questions during a congressional hearing Tuesday about how they're protecting children online, and one lawmaker declared it's not enough to just be different from Facebook.
Members of a Senate Commerce Committee panel questioned executives from the social media platforms Tuesday, as Facebook receives growing scrutiny over a whistleblower's allegations that it has put profits over users' safety. At the start of the hearing, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) argued that TikTok, YouTube, and Snapchat similarly prioritize keeping users, especially children, on its apps longer.
"I understand from your testimony that your defense is, 'We're not Facebook. We're different, and we're different from each other,'" Blumenthal said. "Being different from Facebook is not a defense. That bar is in the gutter. ... What we want is not a race to the bottom, but really a race to the top."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The tech executives defended the steps they've taken to protect children. But lawmakers had tough questions for them, with Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) asking TikTok about reporting that its "algorithm can push young users into content glorifying eating disorders, drugs, violence," The Wall Street Journal reports. TikTok's Michael Beckerman said the company has "made a number of improvements to the way that people have control of the algorithm and have age-appropriate content on TikTok."
At one point, Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) also slammed an executive from Snap for not saying whether the company would support legislation pertaining to children's online privacy. "This is just what drives us crazy," he said. "We want to talk, we want to talk, we want to talk.' This bill's been out there for years, and you still don't have a view on it."
Blumenthal argued there must be "stronger rules to protect children online," and in light of the recent Facebook whistleblower testimony, he vowed there "will be accountability" because "this time is different."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
NFL gets ESPN stake in deal with Disney
Speed Read The deal gives the NFL a 10% stake in Disney's ESPN sports empire and gives ESPN ownership of NFL Network
-
Samsung to make Tesla chips in $16.5B deal
Speed Read Tesla has signed a deal to get its next-generation chips from Samsung
-
FCC greenlights $8B Paramount-Skydance merger
Speed Read The Federal Communications Commission will allow Paramount to merge with the Hollywood studio Skydance
-
Tesla reports plummeting profits
Speed Read The company may soon face more problems with the expiration of federal electric vehicle tax credits
-
Dollar faces historic slump as stocks hit new high
Speed Read While stocks have recovered post-Trump tariffs, the dollar has weakened more than 10% this year
-
Economists fear US inflation data less reliable
speed read The Labor Department is collecting less data for its consumer price index due to staffing shortages
-
Crypto firm Coinbase hacked, faces SEC scrutiny
Speed Read The Securities and Exchange Commission has also been investigating whether Coinbase misstated its user numbers in past disclosures
-
Starbucks baristas strike over dress code
speed read The new uniform 'puts the burden on baristas' to buy new clothes, said a Starbucks Workers United union delegate