WATCH: Sen. Blumenthal calls for end of 'destructive content' by social media companies

Promises of trust that social media companies can and will take action to end "destructive content" on their platforms is gone, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-CT, said on Dec. 8 during a hearing by the Senate Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security Subcommittee.

“Self-policing depends on trust, the trust is gone. What we need now is independent researchers, objective overseers not chosen by big tech…and strong vigorous enforcement of standards that stops the toxic, destructive content,” said Blumenthal during the opening remarks at the hearing.
“I believe time for self-regulation and self-policing is over.”

The hearing comes 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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