TikTok CEO vows to spend $2b to protect kids using platform amid Senate child safety hearing

The CEOs of top social media platforms like TikTok, Meta, and X are set to appear at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the safety of children online. On Wednesday, top executives of widely used social media apps- CEO of X, formerly Twitter, Linda Yaccarino, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel, and Discord CEO Jason Citron will testify before Congress alongside TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

CEO Shou Zi Chew pledges to spend $2 billion for the safety of children on TikTok

Ahead of the Senate hearing, Shou Zi Chew has vowed to spend $2 billion to protect the children who use the popular video-sharing platform TikTok. According to Bloomberg, Chew is planning to spend a hefty amount on trust and global safety at his company, which consists of a team of over 40,000.

Chew is expected to unveil the details of his plans to protect 170 million users on his platform at the hearing in Washington. The outlet adds that he is also planning to bring into focus various policies around teenagers on TikTok. Among those policies is that those under the age of 16 will be prohibited from sending messages.

Moreover, the videos shared by teenagers under 16 will not be able to be downloaded. Such videos will also not be recommended to users they aren't already connected with on the platform. For those aged 17 and under, TikTok will have a pre-set screen limit time of 60 minutes, after which a password will be required to use the platform.

Per Bloomberg, Chew's prepared testimony reveals that TikTok uses a special technology to review public content, which monitors and filters out prohibited sexual imagery, including those of children. The outlet adds that Chew will also share with the court that his company uses third-party applications like PhotoDNA and Take It Down to moderate direct messages.