US Senate Subpoenas X, Snap, Discord CEOs to Testify on Child Safety

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Facts

• The US Senate Judiciary Committee issued subpoenas on Monday to the CEOs of Discord, Snap, and X, requiring them to testify at a Dec. 6 hearing on online child sexual exploitation.¹
• The subpoenas — issued to Discord CEO Jason Citron, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel, and X CEO Linda Yaccarino — accuse the three companies of “repeated refusals to appear” during negotiations, with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew expected to testify at the hearing voluntarily.²
• According to the committee, it had to enlist the US Marshals Service to deliver the subpoenas to Discord and X, calling it “a remarkable departure from typical practice.”³
• According to company statements, Spiegel and Yaccarino have agreed to testify — though the CEOs have yet to agree to the Dec. 6 date — while Discord has expressed its commitment to working with the committee.²
• Social media sites like Discord, Meta, Snap, TikTok, and X have all faced criticism over their child safety practices, with Meta currently facing a joint lawsuit from 41 states and Washington, DC, over accusations that it has negatively impacted minors' mental health.²
• Congress is facing pressure to pass bills requiring online platforms to increase online protections for children., with at least five states having passed their own similar laws.⁴

Sources: ¹Reuters, ²Associated Press, ³CNBC and ⁴Politicopro.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by The hill. Big tech has failed to keep children safe online, and these company's silence on the issue can no longer continue. It's high time these companies testify and inform Congress on how they will protect children from sexual exploitation on their platforms. The digital world needs the same kind of protection for children as already exists in the offline world.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Parenting for a digital future. While the committee's concerns are legitimate, it's using Big Tech as a scapegoat. Social media safety measures are undoubtedly one part of the equation, but they're not enough on their own to ensure children's safety in this increasingly digital era. Other efforts — such as education on the dangers of social media — and other stakeholders must work in tandem with Big Tech.