Zuckerberg's apology to families marked a "turning point" for Meta whistleblower Frances Haugen.

• During Wednesday's congressional hearing, Mark Zuckerberg, the co-founder and CEO of Meta, expressed his apologies to the families who held him responsible for the toxicity of social media, which they claimed led to the loss of a loved one.
• Zuckerberg's apology to whistleblower Frances Haugen was considered a "turning point" because it was the first time he has spoken with a survivor family.

On Wednesday, Frances Haugen, the whistleblower, was impressed by Mark Zuckerberg's testimony before Congress, particularly when he directly apologized to families who held social media responsible for the loss of a loved one.

Haugen stated on CNBC's Last Call that the apology was a turning point because it was the first time he had to confront the consequences of his choices visibly.

Several prominent tech CEOs from Discord, Facebook, TikTok, and X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, were featured in a hearing regarding child safety on social media. However, it was Zuckerberg who drew the most ire from lawmakers.

Missouri Republican Senator Josh Hawley questioned Zuckerberg about research revealing that minors were frequently encountering inappropriate and unwanted content such as nudity on Instagram. Zuckerberg stumbled and then declined to respond to Hawley's inquiry regarding who was dismissed following these disclosures.

"Have you considered the families of missing or injured children when discussing the steps you took?" Hawley inquired.

Zuckerberg was urged by Hawley to express regret to the audience, and he stood up to address them personally.

Zuckerberg apologized for the difficulties that everyone had experienced, stating that it was unbearable. He emphasized that Facebook's significant investments and ongoing efforts would ensure that no one would have to endure the same hardships as the families involved.

The apology was amplified by the many families in attendance, according to Haugen, the former Facebook product manager turned whistleblower who leaked internal documents to the Wall Street Journal in 2021.

"The energy was electric in the packed room," Haugen stated.

Haugen's leaked internal documents revealed the company's awareness of the potential harm that social media platforms Facebook and Instagram could cause to underage users.