WATCH: Instagram CEO “callous” in testimony, says Blackburn

Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn told Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri he sounded “callous” in his testimony regarding youth suicide or “life-long problems” connected to the social media platform during a hearing of the Senate Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security Subcommittee on Dec. 8.

"You have broken these children’s lives and you've broken these parents' hearts," Blackburn told Mosseri. “I have to tell you, you did sound callous.”

Mosseri responded that he takes bad experiences on Instagram seriously. He said parental controls and involvement are important but that the platform is also responsible for keeping users safe, especially children.

Instagram executive Adam Mosseri is testifying in the hearing amid heightened scrutiny of social media companies including one of the world’s largest social media platforms — Facebook — and their reported decisions to prioritize growth over other concerns. Facebook is the owner of Instagram.

Former Facebook product manager turned whistleblower Frances Haugen has testified to U.S. and European lawmakers working on those measures in recent months, citing internal company research suggesting that peer pressure generated by Facebook-owned Instagram has led to mental health and body-image problems in young users.

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