Last month, I marched with dozens of families to Meta’s NYC headquarters to hold a vigil for the children lost because of Meta’s harmful business practices. Gathering at sunrise, we all gratefully accepted cups of coffee and reviewed safety instructions before heading out. I greeted parents and families I’ve had the bittersweet privilege of knowing for years, because of the toll Meta’s products have had on their lives.

Later, I watched as these same parents lay roses at the base of the Meta’s building to honor their late children. No matter how many times I hear their stories, I’m always moved to tears. As a mother of two young children, my heart aches for these families. I cannot imagine life without my own kids, and every day they have to live that reality because of companies like Meta who refuse to prioritize safety over profits. 

Alarming, new, reporting two days later from the Wall Street Journal only confirmed this; Meta’s AI chatbots have been engaging in sexually explicit conversations with children, even when they know they’re underage. And what’s more, multiple staff members inside Meta raised concerns only to be ignored or overruled as CEO Mark Zuckerberg pushed to remove safety guardrails on the chatbots, seeing them as the opportunity for Meta to get ahead in one aspect of the AI race. 

I refuse to allow our children to be used as corporate pawns in a game of billionaire bro one-upmanship. And neither will my partners and allies who organized this action – Design It For Us, Heat Initiative, and Parents Together. Our young people are already one of the most at-risk groups for extortion, hateful or self-harm content, and bullying on social media platforms. We refuse to allow companies like Meta to profit any more off of harm to any child. 

My kids are the reason I demand that social media platforms implement safety measures within their design. Our families are the reason I won’t stop holding Big Tech accountable. And today’s young people have had enough, gathering over 10,000 signatures to demand that Meta changes their business model to prioritize safety over profits. If these parents are able to channel the loss of their children into action and the next generation is willing to fight for their own lives, it is my job to be ready to step up and support them. 

Please join me.