West Cook News

On July 7, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) tweeted that he pressed Mark Zuckerberg on failing to prevent child sexual abuse material on Instagram. Durbin claims that it wasn't a lack of ability, but instead a lack of initiative on Zuckerberg's part.

"Just last week, I pressed Mark Zuckerberg on failing to prevent child sexual abuse material from spreading on Instagram," Durbin said in his tweet. "It wasn't a lack of ability - it was lack of initiative. Now he launched a new platform. Democrats and Republicans are on the same page: protect our kids."

A press release from Durbin's office said he other Judiciary Committee members  wrote a letter to Zuckerberg, the chairman and CEO of Meta, expressing concerns about Instagram's role in promoting sexual interest and activity involving children, including the production and sharing of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM).

The letter highlights concerns over the platform's role in promoting and enabling sexual exploitation of children, including the spread of CSAM. By calling upon Zuckerberg to address this matter, the senators emphasize the need for immediate action and heightened accountability to protect younger users from viewing sexual content. In the letter, the senators stated, "it is alarming that online child sexual exploitation and the proliferation of CSAM, is not among Meta's highest priorities – especially when its platform directly facilitates and bolsters the black market for child sexual abuse material."

"This Committee has united across the political aisle to combat the evil of online child sexual exploitation," the letter reads. "Tech companies cannot assist malevolent actors who seek to take advantage of children. We refuse to let those who traffic in CSAM subject children to these harms and alter the course of their lives. And we refuse to accept Meta's facilitation of these crimes. We therefore urge Meta to join us in combatting this threat." 

The letter was also signed by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Chris Coons (D-DE), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), John Kennedy (R-LA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Peter Welch (D-VT) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).