A Senate committee has issued bipartisan subpoenas to the CEOs of Discord, Snap and X, demanding that the heads of the three companies testify at a December hearing on protecting children online.
Quick Read
- Senate Committee Subpoenas Tech CEOs:
- The Senate Judiciary Committee has issued subpoenas to the CEOs of Discord, Snap, and X (formerly Twitter).
- The subpoenas were issued by Committee Chairman Dick Durbin and Senator Lindsey Graham after failed negotiations for voluntary appearance.
- Reason for Subpoenas:
- The hearing, scheduled for December 6, will focus on child sexual exploitation online.
- The committee aims to address Big Tech’s role in policing content harmful to children.
- Response from Tech Companies:
- Discord and X showed a “remarkable departure from typical practice” by refusing to accept the subpoenas.
- The U.S. Marshals Service was involved to personally serve the CEOs of these companies.
- Potential Participation of Other Tech Giants:
- The committee is still in talks with Meta and TikTok.
- Expectations are for their CEOs, Mark Zuckerberg and Shou Zi Chew, to testify voluntarily.
- Backdrop of Criticism Against Social Media:
- Social media platforms have been under scrutiny for harms caused to children and teenagers.
- Recently, Meta faced lawsuits from 41 states and Washington, D.C., over features in Instagram and Facebook alleged to contribute to youth mental health issues.
The Associated Press has the story:
Senate panel subpoenas CEOs of Discord, Snap and X to testify about children’s safety online
Newslooks- WASHINGTON (AP)
A Senate committee has issued bipartisan subpoenas to the CEOs of Discord, Snap and X, demanding that the heads of the three companies testify at a December hearing on protecting children online.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, the top Republican on the panel, announced Monday that they had issued the subpoenas to Discord CEO Jason Citron, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel and Linda Yaccarino, the CEO of X, formerly known as Twitter, “after repeated refusals to appear” during weeks of negotiations.
“Big Tech’s failure to police itself at the expense of our kids cannot go unanswered,” the two senators said in a statement.
The committee said that “in a remarkable departure from typical practice,” Discord and X refused to accept service of the subpoenas and the panel was forced to enlist the U.S. Marshals Service to personally subpoena the CEOs.
The Dec. 6 hearing will focus on child sexual exploitation online. Durbin and Graham said the committee remains in discussions with both Meta and TikTok and expects their CEOs, Mark Zuckerberg and Shou Zi Chew, to testify voluntarily.
Social media companies have faced criticism from lawmakers, regulators and the public for harms their platforms cause to children and teenagers. Most recently, Meta was sued by 41 states and Washington, D.C. for contributing to the youth mental health crisis by knowingly designing features on Instagram and Facebook that addict teenagers to the platforms.
