"The profit-driven Meta is taking innocent children away."
On the 24th (local time), at the Meta Platforms (Meta) headquarters located in the East Village of New York City, more than 150 people gathered at the main entrance holding their children's memorial photos in both hands. The entrance is filled with colorful roses in red, white, yellow, and other colors. The roses were placed there to protest against CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
According to Bloomberg News, a large-scale protest demanding the strengthening of Meta's youth protection measures took place in front of the Meta headquarters that day. This followed an overnight prayer meeting held at the same location the day before. The protesters are parents of teenagers who took their own lives due to social media (SNS), and they are said to have gathered from across the United States and the United Kingdom. Most have already filed civil lawsuits against SNS platforms, including Meta.
Families gathered for the protest chanted slogans such as "It's devastating" and "Change it now" while surrounding the Meta headquarters, and publicly condemned CEO Zuckerberg through speeches.
The core measures demanded by the families at Meta were threefold: ▲ take action to prevent harmful content from being recommended to young people ▲ block sex offenders from contacting children through the platform ▲ respond quickly and transparently to reports from teenagers. These demands are also said to be included in a public letter signed by about 10,000 parents, ordinary citizens, and social activists.
Amber Royer, whose 18-year-old son died from an overdose after trading fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, on SNS, criticized that SNS has become a playground for criminals, drug dealers, and various smugglers. Royer said, "I hope someone will listen to our cries" and emphasized, "Change must happen to prevent another tragedy in cyberspace."
There were also criticisms that Meta repeatedly blocked the families demanding stronger protection measures. Mary Lody, whose teenage son died in 2021, said, "I have requested meetings with CEO Zuckerberg for years, but have been rejected each time" and added, "I have nothing more to lose. I am ready to do anything."
In response, Meta stated that it is aware of the issues and is actively seeking measures for youth protection. A Meta official explained, "We have introduced a 'Teen account' exclusively for minors for their protection" and mentioned that they are implementing features that warn users when contacting someone from an unknown country and algorithms to reduce exposure to inappropriate content. However, the families believe these measures are insufficient.
The trend of emphasizing the social responsibility of SNS and pressuring corporations continues globally. According to Bloomberg News, in the United States, thousands of lawsuits have been filed in recent years against Meta, TikTok, Snapchat, and others for child abuse allegations, and the CEOs of these platforms have appeared at congressional hearings, facing scrutiny over their responsibilities.
Legal regulations are also expanding. In the UK, the 'Online Safety Act' that mandates the blocking of illegal content at the executive level came into effect this year, and Australia is also set to implement a law restricting SNS use for those under 16. The U.S. Senate passed a bill last year to strengthen accountability for SNS platforms, which is currently under vote in the House.