Instagram Chief and Lawmakers Clash Over App’s Real World Harms

The executive who runs Instagram and U.S. senators in a hearing on Wednesday presented radically different views about how the platform functions in society and impacts young users.

Members of the Senate Commerce consumer protection subcommittee asked Instagram’s Adam Mosseri about ads targeting young people, how the platform promotes inappropriate content and what legal options are available for users who suffered harm because of the social network. Mosseri pledged transparency, touted recent product changes and asked Congress to pass new regulations.

Adam Mosseri speaks during a Senate hearing in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 8.

Photographer: Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg

“I want to assure you we do have the same goal: We all want teens to be safe ...