Top tech companies in U.S. grilled on whether products are hurting children

An extraordinary hearing took place on Capitol Hill on Wednesday.

Senators grilled top CEOs of tech companies -- including Meta, X, TikTok, and other social media companies -- about whether their products hurt children.

The hearing began with recorded testimony from kids and parents who said they or their children were exploited on social media. Throughout the hours-long event, parents who lost children to suicide silently held up pictures of their dead kids.

At one point, Meta's CEO Mark Zuckerberg stood up and faced a group of parents, who were holding pictures of their children who were victims of online harassment.

Zuckerberg apologized, saying he was sorry for everything they had been through.

"No one should go through the things that your families have suffered," he said, adding that Meta continues to invest and work on "industry-wide efforts" to protect children.

Still, he faced some sharp allegations from lawmakers.

"Mr. Zuckerberg, you and your companies before us - I know you don't mean it to be so, but you have blood on your hands. You have a product that's killing people," one lawmaker stated.

One of lawmakers' concerns is the 'sextortion' of minors, where offenders threaten to release compromising material unless the victim pays them.

The FBI says there were more than 13,000 reports of this last year.

Snapchat had broken ranks ahead of the hearing and began backing a federal bill that would create a legal liability for apps and social platforms that recommend harmful content to minors. Snap CEO Evan Spiegel reiterated the company's support on Wednesday and asked the industry to back the bill.

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew said TikTok is vigilant about enforcing its policy barring children under 13 from using the app. CEO Linda Yaccarino said X, formerly Twitter, doesn't cater to children.

"We do not have a line of business dedicated to children," Yaccarino said. She said the company will also support Stop CSAM Act, a federal bill that make it easier for victims of child exploitation to sue tech companies.

Google's YouTube is notably missing from the list of companies called to the Senate Wednesday even though more kids use YouTube than any other platform, according to the Pew Research Center. Pew found that 93% of U.S. teens use YouTube, with TikTok a distant second at 63%.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.