Facebook executive says company doesn't profit off underage users

Facebook's global head of safety defended the company against accusations it harms children's mental health in a Senate hearing Thursday, pushing back against claims that the social media giant exploits young users for profit.

The hearing before the Senate subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety and Data Security marked the first congressional testimony by a Facebook executive since a recent Wall Street Journal investigation found the company was aware its products harmed underage users. The paper cited internal Facebook research showing the company's products made body image issues worse for a third of teenage girls and prompted suicidal thoughts in 6% of all teenage users.

"We now know that Facebook routinely puts profits ahead of kids' online safety," subcommittee chair Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, said in his opening remarks.