YouTube, TikTok defend teen privacy plans amid Facebook scrutiny

A seven-foot visual protest outside the US Capitol depicting Zuckerberg surfing on a wave of cash, while young women surround him appearing to be suffering on Sept 30, 2021, in Washington. The bombshell reports about Facebook and Instagram – their toxic impacts on young users and lack of truth or transparency – raise serious concerns about Big Tech’s approach toward kids across the board, Blumenthal said. — AP Images for SumofUS

Social media companies YouTube, TikTok and Snap will tout established protections of teen privacy to counter lawmaker questioning at a Tuesday hearing, seeking to distance themselves from the criticism faced by rival Facebook.

Executives from the companies face senators one day after a consortium of 17 news outlets, including Bloomberg, published dozens of articles based on troves of leaked Facebook Inc data that detailed how the company prioritised profits over the safety of users – particularly teenagers – on its products.