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It was with great anticipation that I watched the CEOs of Meta, TikTok, Snap, X, and Discord being called before the Senate Judiciary Committee to answer for the plague of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on their platforms. This hearing was a long overdue reckoning, a chance to hold tech giants accountable for the damage and harm their products have caused our kids. I sat a few rows back with parents and activists who have worked tirelessly for change these past few years.
We were all watching these powerful figures, sitting in that room, surrounded by the parents of children who have been exploited, bullied, and even lost to suicide due to the failures of these platforms, and the emotional weight was palpable. When those grieving families held up photos of their lost loved ones, the room fell into a haunting and complete silence. It was a moment that laid bare the human cost of Big Tech's relentless pursuit of engagement and profit at the expense of child safety.
Amid this heartbreak, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's forced apology rang hollow. "I'm sorry for everything you've been through," he said, turning to face the families after Senator Josh Hawley's pressing. But as I've learned in my years fighting for kids’ safety, we don't need more words - we need action. We need accountability. We need change.
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But while the unity of purpose was heartening, the lack of concrete progress was frustrating. The package of child safety bills advanced by the Senate Judiciary Committee last year remains stalled, even as the volume of CSAM online reaches record highs. The tech industry's lobbying machine continues to impede efforts to update the Section 230 liability shield that has allowed these companies to evade responsibility for far too long.
Meanwhile, as Congress deliberates, states are stepping into the void with their own efforts to protect kids online - efforts that are all too often challenged and blocked by the very same tech giants called on the carpet in this hearing.
This status quo is unacceptable. The cost of inaction is too high. We cannot let the perfect be the enemy of the good when it comes to keeping kids safe online.
At Angel Kids, our mission is to give families the tools they need to protect their children in the digital world. But we can't do it alone. We need lawmakers to act, and we need the tech industry to put the well-being of kids above their bottom lines. One company can make a difference but a solution for our children is far bigger than any one company.
This hearing must be a catalyst, not a conclusion. The unity and urgency displayed in that room must be translated into real, tangible progress. The Kids Online Safety Act and the other child protection bills in Congress need to become law. Platforms need to be held liable when their products cause harm due to major design flaws. Survivors and families need to have recourse.
We owe it to the parents who bravely held up those photos, who channelled their grief into advocacy. We owe it to the children, both living and lost, whose suffering has gone unheard for far too long. We owe it to the next generation, who deserve to inherit a digital world that nurtures and enriches their lives, not one that puts them in danger
The time for apologies is over. It's time for action. Let's make sure that no more families have to endure the pain etched on the faces of those in that hearing room. Let's build a safer internet, one bill and one line of code at a time. Our kids are counting on us.
Tim Estes
CEO & Founder @ Angel Kids
