POLISCOPE
Back to feed
FEDERALhearing transcript
High Impact

Senate Hearing on Protecting Children on Social Media

Original title: PROTECTING KIDS ONLINE: SNAPCHAT, TIKTOK, AND YOUTUBE

January 1, 2024

Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.

The Frame

What this does

This represents a formal legislative inquiry into the safety practices of major social media platforms, which could lead to future federal regulations or laws governing how these companies handle data and protect minors.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Social media companies (Snap, TikTok, YouTube)

These companies were required to provide testimony and respond to formal written inquiries from the Senate regarding their safety policies.

Minors using social media

The subject matter of the hearing concerns the safety, data privacy, and online experiences of children using these platforms.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2024.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

A U.S. Senate held a on October 26, 2021, to examine how Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube protect children on their platforms. Executives from these companies provided testimony and responded to written questions from senators regarding safety, data security, and product design.

Key Facts

  • The hearing took place on October 26, 2021, in the Russell Senate Office Building.
  • The hearing was conducted by the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security.
  • Jennifer Stout (Snap Inc.), Michael Beckerman (TikTok), and Leslie Miller (YouTube) provided testimony.
  • The subcommittee members included Senators Blumenthal, Cantwell, Klobuchar, Markey, Baldwin, Lujan, Blackburn, Thune, Moran, Lee, Cruz, Sullivan, and Lummis.
  • The hearing resulted in a series of written follow-up questions submitted to the company representatives by multiple senators.
  • The document includes the official record of responses to written questions from the three company representatives.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the purpose of this hearing?
The was held to investigate and discuss how social media platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube protect children who use their services.
Who testified at the hearing?
Executives from Snap Inc., TikTok, and YouTube provided testimony and answered questions from the .

Why It Matters

This represents a formal legislative inquiry into the safety practices of major social media platforms, which could lead to future federal regulations or laws governing how these companies handle data and protect minors.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Sponsors

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Increased Congressional Oversight

The hearing marks a coordinated effort by the Senate to bring major social media platforms under direct scrutiny regarding child safety.

Connected Entities

personMarsha BlackburnRanking Member of the SubcommitteeMap →
organizationTikTokRepresented by Michael BeckermanMap →
organizationSnap Inc.Parent company of Snapchat; represented by Jennifer StoutMap →
organizationYouTubeRepresented by Leslie MillerMap →
personRichard BlumenthalChairman of the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data SeMap →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance85
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy60
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment20
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz30
    Current news / social attention level

Publisher tools

Share or embed this record

POLISCOPE publisher tools

Share or embed this record