FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Feb. 18, 2026
Contact: Ashwin Verghese, Communications Director, [email protected], 508-263-0289
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***AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS: Fairplay’s legal experts and network of survivor parents whose children died from social media harms are available for interviews, both on the ground in Los Angeles and in cities across the United States. To schedule an interview, contact Ashwin Verghese at [email protected] or 508-263-0289.***
Below is a statement from Fairplay Executive Director Josh Golin:
“All Mark Zuckerberg accomplished with his testimony today was to prove yet again that he cannot be trusted, especially when it comes to kids’ safety.
“Under oath, Meta’s CEO testified that his company does not have an objective to increase users’ time spent on Instagram. But we know Zuckerberg and his fellow executives prevented Instagram from getting rid of features like visible like counts and plastic surgery filters — features that are by their very nature addictive.
“Zuckerberg also invoked Meta’s decision not to launch a version of Instagram for little kids. But that decision was not borne out of a concern for child welfare. Instead, it was the result of activists and advocacy groups led by Fairplay pressuring Meta into canceling its outrageous plans.
“After Zuckerberg’s disgraceful display on the witness stand today, there is no excuse for Congress to continue dragging its feet on reining in this dishonest billionaire and his fellow Big Tech CEOs. The Kids Online Safety Act, the only thoroughly vetted bill with strong bipartisan support that would help prevent the wide range of harms kids experience on social media, has the support of over three-fourths of the US Senate. It’s time for Senate leaders to advance this legislation and for House leadership to take it up.
“Parents cannot rely on Mark Zuckerberg to keep their children safe, but they should be able to trust their elected leaders to do so. Congress needs to stand with families and put Big Tech’s deadly business model out of commission.”
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About Fairplay
Fairplay is the leading nonprofit committed to helping children thrive in an increasingly commercialized, screen-obsessed culture, and the only organization dedicated to ending marketing to children. Fairplay works to enhance children’s well-being by eliminating the exploitative and harmful business practices of marketers and Big Tech. Learn more at www.fairplayforkids.org.