Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META) is under renewed fire in Washington as a bipartisan group of senators demanded the company release internal assessments on how its products affect children, citing evidence that parental controls are failing to protect young users.
Senators Demand Transparency From Meta
A coalition of 10 senators, led by Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), sent a letter pressing Meta to disclose internal safety research and reveal whether executives have blocked or altered findings.
"Parental controls, instead of being the solution for Meta's rampant dangers—as they had been branded to both parents and to Congress—appear to be ineffective and underutilized," the senators wrote in the letter, obtained by Reuters.
The demand follows testimony from former Meta safety researchers who told lawmakers that the company shut down internal work showing children were using its VR products and encountering sexually explicit material.
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), the panel's ranking Democrat, were among those demanding Meta's internal safety applications.
Meta did not immediately respond to Benzinga's request for comments.
AI Chatbot Controversy Fuels Scrutiny
Last month, it was reported that Meta's internal policy guide permitted AI chatbots to engage children in "romantic or sensual" conversations.
Meta confirmed the document's authenticity but said the provisions were "erroneous" and have since been removed. Spokesman Andy Stone said enforcement has been updated, though lawmakers remain unconvinced.
Meta's Response And Safety Efforts
In July, Meta announced it had purged more than 600,000 predator accounts across Facebook and Instagram while rolling out enhanced teen protections in messaging.
The company said teens used these tools heavily, blocking 1 million accounts and reporting another 1 million in June alone.
Meta also highlighted previous removals of 135,000 Instagram accounts accused of sexualizing minors, along with 500,000 related profiles.
Despite these efforts, senators argue that the company has failed to prevent systemic risks.
Bigger Fight Over Child Safety
The Senate's pressure campaign comes as lawmakers push the reintroduced Kids Online Safety Act, which would legally force platforms to mitigate harm to minors.
Meta is not alone under scrutiny—Snap Inc. (NYSE:SNAP), OpenAI and Character.AI are also facing lawsuits and hearings tied to youth safety.
Price Action: META shares climbed 1.87% to $779 during regular trading on Tuesday and added another 0.12% in after-hours, according to Benzinga Pro. The stock has gained 30% year-to-date and 45.25% over the past 12 months.
Benzinga's Edge Stock Rankings show META continues to demonstrate strength across short, medium and long-term horizons, with further performance insights available here.
Photo: Skorzewiak / Shutterstock
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
