A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has called on Meta Platforms to release its internal research on how its products impact children and the effectiveness of its parental controls. The demand was made in a letter reviewed by a common news outlet.
The group of ten senators, led by Marsha Blackburn, a Republican from Tennessee, issued the request just a week after a Senate hearing where former Meta safety researchers testified that the company had shut down internal research. According to their testimony, Meta was aware that children were using its virtual reality products and being exposed to sexually explicit content.
In their letter, the senators wrote: “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.”
This latest move adds to the growing scrutiny of Meta following reports last month that an internal policy document permitted its chatbots to “engage a child in conversations that are romantic or sensual.” Meta responded by saying the reported examples were incorrect and have since been removed, adding that there has never been a blanket prohibition on conducting research involving young people.
The letter was signed on Tuesday by several senior lawmakers, including Senator Chuck Grassley, a Republican from Iowa who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Senator Richard Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois who serves as the committee’s ranking member. The senators asked Meta to disclose research applications as well as details on whether such requests were denied or altered.
The investigation comes amid a broader examination of the impact of artificial intelligence chatbots on children. Earlier this week, a separate Senate hearing heard from parents who have sued OpenAI and Character.AI, holding the companies responsible for their children’s deaths by suicide. Both firms expressed condolences and stated they are working to strengthen safety measures.
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