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Hawley pushes legal action against Meta after whistleblowers detail child abuse in VR
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Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., called to «open the courtroom doors» so parents can sue Meta, accusing founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg of misleading Congress after whistleblowers detailed child safety failures on the company’s virtual reality (VR) platforms.
Two former Meta researchers told a Senate panel Tuesday that the company buried child harm evidence in VR, killed age-verification studies and let AI chatbots flirt with kids, prompting a bipartisan push to pass measures protecting minors online.
«The claims at the heart of this hearing are nonsense; they’re based on selectively leaked internal documents that were picked specifically to craft a false narrative,» a Meta spokesperson said.
«The truth is there was never any blanket prohibition on conducting research with young people and, since the start of 2022, Meta approved nearly 180 Reality Labs-related studies on issues including youth safety and well-being.»
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A Meta Oculus Quest 2 virtual reality headset during a media preview of the Meta Store in Burlingame, Calif., May 4, 2022. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Testifying before the Senate were Cayce Savage and Jason Sattizahn, both former Meta researchers.
Sattizahn alleged Meta routinely prioritized engagement and profit over safety — especially for kids — and manipulated or erased research showing harm.
He said despite attempts to curb data collection, the studies researchers could run still showed the company’s products endangered users.
Germany once banned Meta’s VR sales over data treatment concerns; after sales resumed in 2022, Sattizahn was sent to conduct research there.
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Visitors walk in front of the Meta sign at its headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif., Dec. 29, 2022. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
He said he understood Meta was trying to show its VR headsets were safe for Germans.
But when research uncovered that underage children using Meta VR in Germany were subjected to demands for sex acts, nude photos and other acts children should never be exposed to, Sattizahn alleged Meta demanded all evidence be erased.
«My research still revealed emotional and psychological damage, particularly to women who were sexually solicited, molested or worse,» he testified. «In response, Meta demanded I change my research in the future to not gather this data on emotional and psychological harm.»
Savage testified she led youth safety research in VR and likewise said Meta prioritized engagement over child safety.
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Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., spoke during a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing on Meta’s VR platforms Sept. 9, 2025, urging Congress to «open the courtroom doors» so families can sue. (Chip Somodevilla)
She said the company employed suppression tactics, including editing reports, demanding deletions and threatening jobs.
Hawley asked Savage why it was important for Meta to have children under 13 using VR. She told him kids drive household adoption of gaming devices, which means more money for Meta.
«So, this is about profits at the end of the day,» Hawley told Savage while seeking clarification on whether Meta will do anything for a profit, including exposing children to vile sexual abuse.
«When I was doing research to identify the harms that children were facing in VR, which I had to be sneaky about because legal wouldn’t actually let me do it, I identified that Roblox, the app on in VR, was being used by coordinated pedophile rings,» Savage said. «They set up strip clubs, and they paid children to strip.»
She added that Robux could be converted into real money.
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Roblox’s logo. At the hearing, whistleblower Cayce Savage alleged the VR app on Meta headsets had been exploited by predators and said she warned Meta against hosting it. (Getty Images)
Savage said she flagged the issue to Meta, saying under no circumstances should Meta host the Roblox app on the headset.
«You can now download it in their app store,» she said.
Later, under questioning, Savage told the panel she estimates any child in a social VR space will come in contact with, or be directly exposed to, something inappropriate.
«She said every single child who goes into the platform will 100% be exposed to child sex abuse material. Every single one,» Hawley told Fox News Digital Tuesday evening. «I just come back to the fact that we have got to protect our children.
«It can’t be that if you go online as a kid, you are 100% likely to be sexually abused, and that’s what the witnesses said today. If you are online, if you’re on their virtual reality program platform rather, you are going to get sexually abused. That was their testimony.»
Hawley called out Zuckerberg for testifying on Jan. 31, 2024, that Meta does not allow people under the age of 13 on the service.
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Sen. Josh Hawley accused of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg (pictured) of misleading Congress about under-13 users on the company’s platforms. Meta has called the whistleblowers’ claims «nonsense.» (Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
During his testimony last year, the CEO said anyone under the age of 13 will be removed from the service, and, in response to another question, Zuckerberg said Meta does not want users under the age of 13.
Hawley said Zuckerberg misled Americans with that testimony, pointing to whistleblowers who said under-13 users are rampant on the platform.
«I don’t see how you can square what he told us under oath last year with what these whistleblowers said today,» Hawley told Fox News Digital. «But that’s true of a lot of his statements. I mean, he said over and over, whether it’s the safety protocols Facebook has put into place, that’s not true.
«Whether it’s regarding their work in China, he said, ‘Oh, we don’t do work in China.’ That is not true. He said, ‘We don’t have any contacts with the Chinese government.’ That’s not true. So, I mean, we’re really piling up a long list here.»
Hawley said he has called for Zuckerberg to testify again under oath, though he’s heard Meta isn’t interested.
Sen. Hawley accused Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg of misleading Congress about under-13 users and pressing for swift accountability. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Ultimately, Hawley said, it was time to «open the courtroom doors» so victims and families can sue Meta for failing to protect children.
«It is abundantly clear to me that it is time to allow parents and victims to sue this company,» he said. «They have got to be able to get into court and to get in front of a jury and hold this company accountable, and that begins with Mark Zuckerberg. There has to be accountability. We have to open the courtroom doors and allow victims to have their day in court.»
Earlier this year, Hawley said he advanced legislation through the Judiciary Committee that would allow victims of child sex abuse online to sue Facebook or any Big Tech company where harm happens.
«I don’t think we’re going to see real change at these companies until this becomes law and parents and victims can get into court and hold these people accountable,» he said. «The bottom line is we’ve got to protect our kids. I mean, they’re making money by stealing the innocence of our children.»
Meta told Fox News Digital the company is training its artificial intelligence bots to not respond to teenagers on self-harm, suicide, disorder eating and potentially inappropriate romantic conversations, regardless of content. The company is also working to limit teen access to a select group of AI characters, «for now.»
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Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., closed the meeting by inviting anyone from Meta to testify or challenge what was said.
«I think that they see there is truly bipartisan anger, not only with Meta, but with these other social media platforms and virtual reality platforms and chatbots that are intentionally, knowingly harming our children,» she said. «This has got to stop. Enough is enough.»
senate,mark zuckerberg,tech,facebook
INTERNACIONAL
German chancellor defends remarks on migrants suggesting citizens ‘afraid to move around in public spaces’
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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has doubled down on comments he made about migration, saying many Germans and Europeans are «afraid to move around in public spaces.»
Merz has rejected criticism from some German political circles over his government’s tough stance on illegal immigration.
«But we still have this problem in the cityscape, of course, and that’s why the federal interior minister is facilitating and carrying out large-scale deportations,» he said during a visit to Potsdam last week.
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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz sparked backlash while remarking about the country’s migration policies. (Thomas Traasdahl/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)
The statement prompted backlash, some accusing the German leader of being racist. He rejected the criticism while on the sidelines of a summit on the Western Balkans in London, saying migrants were «an indispensable part of our labor market,» German-based DW News reported.
He also claimed that many people in Germany and across Europe are nonetheless «afraid to move around in public spaces» because of migrants «who do not have permanent residence status, do not work and do not abide by our rules,» the outlet reported.
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Numerous demonstrators gather for a demonstration in Berlin Oct. 19, 2025, with the slogan «Brandmauer hoch!» («We are the cityscape»), referring to a statement made by Chancellor Merz in reference to migration policy. (Annette Riedl/picture alliance via Getty Images)
«I don’t know whether you have children. If you do, and there are daughters among them, ask your daughters what I might have meant. I suspect you’ll get a pretty clear and unambiguous answer. There’s nothing I need to retract,» he said when asked if he would withdraw his earlier remarks.
Some have signed a petition disputing Merz’s comments. The signees include actor Marie Nasemann and environmental activist Luisa Neubauer.
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«There are approximately 40 million daughters in this country. We have a genuine interest in ensuring that our safety is taken seriously,» Neubauer wrote on Instagram. «What we are not interested in is being misused as a pretext or justification for statements that were ultimately discriminatory, racist and deeply hurtful.»
germany,illegal immigrants,europe
INTERNACIONAL
Brasil advierte que una «intervención externa» en Venezuela puede «incendiar» América del Sur
Una intervención de Estados Unidos para deponer al presidente de Venezuela Nicolás Maduro «puede incendiar América del Sur» y Brasil no lo aceptará, advirtió el asesor especial del presidente Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Celso Amorim.
En una entrevista con AFP, Amorim, que fue canciller de Lula en sus primeros dos gobiernos (2003-2010), expresó preocupación por los ataques estadounidenses sin «ninguna prueba» contra embarcaciones de supuestos narcotraficantes en el Caribe, cerca de las costas venezolanas, lo que calificó como una «amenaza de intervención externa».
El asunto, según el veterano diplomático, puede estar en la agenda de una reunión todavía a confirmar entre Lula y el presidente estadounidense, Donald Trump, el domingo en Malasia, al margen de la cumbre regional de la Asean.
Las relaciones entre Trump y Lula se tensaron luego de que el republicano impusiera aranceles punitivos del 50% al gigante sudamericano por el juicio al ex presidente Jair Bolsonaro, condenado a 27 años de cárcel por golpismo.
-¿Lula expresará su descontento ante Trump por los ataques estadounidenses a embarcaciones en el Caribe si se concreta su reunión el domingo?
-Dependerá del ambiente de la conversación. Brasil claramente está preocupado con el uso de la fuerza, la amenaza del uso de la fuerza o la amenaza de métodos clandestinos como la CIA para derribar gobiernos de la región. No queremos una convulsión en nuestra región. Dependiendo de lo que suceda, puede efectivamente tener consecuencias muy profundas y muy graves. No va a quedar contenida a los países donde ocurra. Hay una amenaza de intervención externa, hay personas muriendo ya. No sé si son narcotraficantes, pero no hay ninguna prueba de que lo sean. Es muy peligroso».
-¿Si EEUU interviene para deponer al mandatario venezolano Nicolás Maduro, cómo se posicionaría Brasil?
-Estamos en contra de una intervención externa. El problema de quién va a gobernar en Venezuela es de los venezolanos. No es fácil, exige mucha ayuda para crear puentes, pero una intervención externa, sea armada o con servicios de inteligencia, no es el camino. No podemos aceptar una intervención externa porque eso va a crear un resentimiento inmenso. Para Brasil y para Colombia (puede) crear problemas concretos de refugiados. Eso puede incendiar América del Sur y llevar a la radicalización de la política en todo el continente».
-¿Qué permitió el acercamiento de Brasil y Estados Unidos después de meses de tensiones por el juicio a Bolsonaro y los aranceles?
-«Diría que el sentido común, de ambas partes. El presidente Lula no va a dar lecciones a Trump y espero que lo contrario no ocurra tampoco. Tiene que haber un diálogo para buscar los puntos de encuentro. Se trata de continuar una conversación positiva y sobre todo un buen entendimiento en la parte económica y comercial».
-¿Cree que Trump desistió de apoyar al bolsonarismo en Brasil tras la condena al ex presidente ultraderechista?
-La palabra Bolsonaro no fue pronunciada en la conversación (telefónica de Lula y Trump el 6 de octubre). En todo gobierno hay personas más pragmáticas y personas más ideológicas. En este caso, creo que personas pragmáticas deben de haber hablado con Trump».
-¿Qué ofrecerá Brasil a EEUU para lograr la retirada de los aranceles?
-Creo que lo más importante es haber comenzado un diálogo sin precondiciones. Se acordó crear un grupo de trabajo que discutirá las cuestiones comerciales. Ahora, cómo será, qué será importante, es muy pronto para decirlo. Yo fui negociador durante mucho tiempo y no es cuestión de ir ofreciendo cosas.
-¿Los minerales críticos, entre ellos las tierras raras que Brasil posee, pueden estar sobre la mesa?
-Conversaremos sobre cualquier asunto. Sobre minerales críticos y tierras raras, lo importante es que seamos capaces de definir nuestras necesidades. Nosotros estamos abiertos a inversiones, siempre que también haya beneficio para Brasil.
-¿Brasil prioriza lograr la exención de aranceles a sectores importantes como la carne y el café?
-La carne y el café son importantes obviamente pero las máquinas y motores también. Todos los sectores serán negociados. Creo que va a ser una discusión práctica, vamos a ver qué conseguimos. No hubo condicionamiento político, jurídico o ideológico en relación a la negociación. Eso es lo más importante, ya es un nuevo comienzo.
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The Trump administration’s Treasury Department on Friday sanctioned Colombian President Gustavo Francisco Petro, along with his wife, son and a close associate, accusing the group of being involved in the global illicit drug trade.
The action was taken under a Biden administration executive order targeting foreigners involved in the drug trade.
Petro joins a number of other world leaders under sanction by the Treasury, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and former president of Syria Bashar al-Assad.
President of Colombia Gustavo Petro Urrego was placed under sanction by the U.S. Treasury. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)
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«Since President Gustavo Petro came to power, cocaine production in Colombia has exploded to the highest rate in decades, flooding the United States and poisoning Americans,» Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent wrote in a news release. «President Petro has allowed drug cartels to flourish and refused to stop this activity.»
Petro responded to the announcement on X, calling the sanction «a complete paradox.»
«Indeed, Bernie Moreno’s threat has come true; my children, my wife, and I have been added to the OFAC list,» Petro wrote in a post. «My lawyer in my defense will be Dany Kovalik from the USA. Fighting drug trafficking for decades and effectively has brought me this measure from the government of the society we helped so much to curb their cocaine consumption. A complete paradox, but not a step back and never on our knees.»
The Treasury accused Petro, his wife Veronica, eldest son Nicolás, and Minister of Interior Armando Benedetti of being involved in narcotics trafficking and narcoterrorism, which it said is continuing to fuel violence, corruption and instability in Colombia, while also «posing significant challenges to regional and international security.»
«Colombia remains the world’s top producer and exporter of cocaine,» officials wrote in a statement. «Cocaine from Colombia is often purchased by Mexican cartels, who then smuggle it into the United States via the southern border. It is a scheduled substance that is a significant drug threat to the United States, despite Gustavo Petro’s recent, flippant comparison of the use of the drug to whiskey.»
Petro, a former guerrilla member, was elected to the Colombian presidency in 2022.
Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro said he has hired an American attorney. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara, File)
The department accused him of providing narco-terrorist organizations with benefits under the auspices of his «total peace» plan, among other policies, which officials said have led to record highs in coca cultivation and cocaine production.
The Treasury also alleged Petro has allied himself with Maduro, who is also under U.S. sanction, and the Cartel de Los Soles.
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«Gustavo Petro’s erratic behavior has also driven Colombia further apart from its partners in additional ways,» officials wrote. «In 2024, he shared confidential information obtained via secure anti-money laundering communication channels, threatening the integrity of the international financial system and leading to the suspension of Colombia’s Financial Intelligence Unit from The Egmont Group.»
Petro’s son and political heir, Nicolás, was charged in 2023 with money laundering and illicit enrichment over allegations that he funneled money received from drug traffickers into his father’s «total peace» efforts and election campaign.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro was sanctioned along with his family and an associate. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
He later admitted to receiving dirty money from a person formerly involved in narcotics trafficking and son of a contractor on trial for financing paramilitaries, according to officials.
President Donald Trump determined Columbia was a major drug transit or major illicit drug producing country on Sept. 15, finding it is «failing demonstrably» to uphold its drug control responsibilities.
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Property and assets belonging to those sanctioned, that are in the U.S. or controlled by people in the U.S., are frozen and must be reported to OFAC. Entities owned 50% or more by those sanctioned are also frozen, and U.S. citizens are generally prohibited from related transactions.
Violations can result in civil or criminal penalties, with OFAC able to impose civil penalties on a strict liability basis.
Principal deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott added Secretary of State Marco Rubio will not certify Colombia under the criteria of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2024, as carried forward by the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2025.
«The United States will not turn a blind eye to Petro’s appeasement and emboldening of narco-terrorists,» Pigott wrote in a statement. «We are committed to bringing terrorists and drug traffickers to justice and preventing deadly illegal drugs from entering our country. There must be no impunity for drug traffickers or acts of terrorism or violence by criminal armed groups.»
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«We remain steadfast in our support for Colombian security forces, its justice sector, and departmental and municipal officials, and we will continue to partner with them in our joint efforts to combat drug trafficking,» he added. «Today’s decision is not a reflection on these institutions but rather the failures and incompetence of Gustavo Petro and his inner circle.»
Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, reacted to the announcement on X, saying «FAFO,» an acronym which stands for f— around and find out.
latin america,americas,south america,world
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