Tech executives gave little ground when it came to endorsing bipartisan legislation aimed at addressing online child safety, even as senators lambasted their handling of the issue at a packed Senate committee hearing.
The well-televised confrontations played out last week, as lawmakers blamed social media platforms for harming children and failing to regulate themselves. The vast lobbying power of large technology companies, lawmakers argued, have made passing solutions more difficult.
The technology CEOs, some of whom appeared voluntarily and others appeared after being subpoenaed, stressed their online safety efforts, told lawmakers they support parts of proposals and said they were interested in working with Congress. But many sought to sidestep questions, and several declined to endorse legislation when lawmakers tried to pin them down.
