Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg gave a public apology in US Congress on Wednesday as hostile lawmakers grilled tech chiefs over the dangers that children face on social media platforms, reports AFP.

The executives convened by the US Senate Judiciary Committee were put to task in a session titled "Big Tech and the Online Child Sexual Exploitation Crisis."

During one round of heated questioning, Zuckerberg was made to stand up and apologize to the families of victims who had packed the committee room.

"I'm sorry for everything you have all been through," he said. "No one should go through the things that your families have suffered."

Also testifying to senators were X's Linda Yaccarino, Shou Zi Chew of TikTok, Evan Spiegel of Snap and Discord's Jason Citron.

"Mister Zuckerberg, you and the companies before us, I know you don't mean it to be so, but you have blood on your hands. You have a product that's killing people," said Senator Lindsey Graham.

Zuckerberg told the lawmakers that "keeping young people safe online has been a challenge since the internet began and as criminals evolve their tactics, we have to evolve our defenses too."

According to research, "on balance" social media was not harmful to the mental health of young people, he added.

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