Senators Put YouTube, TikTok, Snap on Defensive on Children’s Use

WASHINGTON—Senators put executives from YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat on the defensive Tuesday, questioning them about what they’re doing to ensure young users’ safety on their platforms. Citing the harm that can come to vulnerable young people from the sites—ranging from eating disorders to exposure to sexually explicit content and material promoting addictive drugs—the lawmakers also sought the executives’ support for legislation bolstering the protection of children on social media. But they received little firm commitment. “The problem is clear: Big Tech preys on children and teens to make more money,” Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) said at a hearing by the Senate Commerce subcommittee on consumer protection. The subcommittee recently took testimony from a former Facebook data scientist, who laid out internal company research showing that the company’s Instagram photo-sharing service appears to seriously harm some teens. The subcommittee is widening its focus to examine other tech platforms, with millions or …