In this file photo illustration, the social media application logo, TikTok is displayed on the screen of an iPhone on April 13, 2020, in Arlington, Virginia. AFP
WASHINGTON — Three massively popular with the youngest users — TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube — tried to convince skeptical US lawmakers Tuesday they are safe as worry about Facebook’s potential harms spills over to other platforms.
Video-sharing app TikTok and photo network Snapchat, in their first testimony to US senators, argued they are built to protect against the mental health and safety risks present on social media.
“Your defense is, ‘We’re not Facebook,’” Senator Richard Blumenthal told the networks’ representatives. “Being different from Facebook is not a defense, that bar is in the gutter.”
“Everything you do is to add users, especially kids, and keep them on your apps,” he continued.
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While a recent whistleblower-fueled controversy has focused on Facebook’s knowledge that its sites could cause harm, other social media giants also grapple with safety issues.
“Snapchat was built as an antidote to social media,” said Jennifer Stout, Snap VP of global public policy, noting images on the platform delete by default.
