Parents Press Congress to Act on Social Media Harms After Children’s Deaths

WASHINGTON — Grieving parents whose children died after viral online challenges and fentanyl-laced drugs delivered emotional testimony before a Senate panel as lawmakers increased pressure on Big Tech companies over child safety failures.

The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law held a hearing Wednesday focused on recent landmark verdicts in California and New Mexico that found social media companies liable for harms linked to addictive platform designs and child exploitation.

Senators from both parties used the hearing to renew calls for passage of the Kids Online Safety Act and reforms to Section 230, the federal law that shields internet companies from many lawsuits involving user-generated content.

Sen. Marsha Blackburn, the subcommittee chairwoman, said the court rulings showed that “protecting our children online is not a content issue” but “a platform design issue.” She accused social media companies of designing products to “capture our child’s attention, maximise the engagement and profit.”

Sen. Amy Klobuchar said social media platforms generate billions of dollars from advertising aimed at children and teenagers.

“These platforms become prey to predators,” Klobuchar said, pointing to online sexual exploitation, eating disorder content and fentanyl sales through social media platforms.

Joanne Bogart of Indiana testified about losing her 15-year-old son, Mason, in 2019 after he attempted a viral “choking challenge” allegedly promoted by YouTube’s algorithm.

“This is my 14th trip to Capitol Hill,” Bogart told senators. “We survivor parents are here on Capitol Hill, sitting through countless hearings and meeting with members of Congress.”

Bogart said Mason had watched videos tied to the dangerous online trend before he was found unconscious at home. She recalled that his final words to her were, “I love you, Mama.”

Bridgette Norring testified that her 19-year-old son, Devin, died after buying what he believed was Percocet through Snapchat during the COVID pandemic lockdown.

“One pill ended his life while Snapchat let the dealer continue selling to children on its platform,” Norring said.

Rachel Lanier, the lawyer who helped secure a jury verdict against Meta and YouTube in Los Angeles, accused the companies of knowingly designing addictive systems for children.

“Meta and YouTube built features into their platforms to work like slot machines engineered to hijack the developing brains of children,” Lanier said.

Lanier testified that internal company documents showed Meta executives knew about harmful mental health effects tied to excessive social media use among teenagers. She also said Meta internally tracked millions of users under age 13 despite public claims that children were not allowed on the platform.

Several senators sharply criticized Section 230 protections during the hearing. Sen. Josh Hawley called the recent jury verdicts “indictments of the United States Congress,” while Sen. Lindsey Graham argued that victims should have broader access to courts.

The hearing reflected growing bipartisan frustration in Washington over the role of social media algorithms in teen mental health problems, online exploitation and exposure to harmful content.

Several states, school districts and families across the United States have filed lawsuits against major technology platforms in recent years. (Source: IANS)