SANTA MONICA, California, May 15, 2026, 10:04 PDT
- Snap CEO Evan Spiegel has been asked to testify before the Senate this June, with lawmakers zeroing in on children’s online safety at the upcoming hearing.
- Lawmakers are stepping up pressure on social-media firms during the hearing, zeroing in on teen safety, pending lawsuits, and how AI oversight is handled.
- Snap shares climbed Friday. Still, the company faces ongoing pressure from weak North American user growth and shaky ad market prospects.
Snap Inc. CEO Evan Spiegel will return to Capitol Hill in June, summoned by lawmakers to address children’s online safety. Spiegel and executives from Meta, Alphabet, and TikTok are all scheduled to testify as U.S. regulators step up pressure on tech firms.
Why does the invitation matter? Washington’s patience with social-media companies is wearing thin. Across the country last year, lawmakers in at least 20 states pushed through new laws aimed at children’s interactions with social media, even while Congress still hasn’t managed to deliver a broad federal framework for the sector.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley has summoned Spiegel, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, and TikTok’s Shou Zi Chew to testify at a hearing, Grassley spokeswoman Hannah Akey told Reuters. Axios noted the session, set for June 23, carries the title, “Examining Tech Industry Practices and the Implications for Users and Families: Is This Social Media’s Big Tobacco Moment?” Reuters
Akey told Axios the panel is still waiting on formal RSVPs from the CEOs, though discussions continue. Snap declined to comment to Reuters regarding the congressional invitations.
The hearing would come as Snap tries to steady its business following a turbulent first quarter. Revenue was up 12% from a year ago, hitting $1.53 billion. Net loss narrowed—$89 million, compared with $140 million last year. Adjusted EBITDA landed at $233 million, not counting interest, taxes, depreciation, or amortization.
Spiegel flagged Snap’s “return to growth in daily active users,” crediting what he called “disciplined execution.” The global daily active user count hit 483 million. In North America though, daily actives slid 7% year-over-year, landing at 92 million. Snap Inc. Investor Relations
Snap is facing the hearing at a tough time. The company’s ad business leans heavily on North America, where lawmakers are now targeting the very demographic—young people—that’s long been Snapchat’s backbone.
Rivals aren’t easing off. Meta, YouTube—run by Alphabet—and TikTok each command larger ad platforms, more clout in D.C., and wider product rosters. For Snap, the pitch remains: its ads, subscription offerings, and AR tools need to prove they can deliver. All four companies land before the Senate under the public-safety microscope. Snap, however, has a lot less space for error.
Regulators’ efforts extend beyond the U.S. Australia implemented its ban on social media for users under 16 back in December 2025. Over in Europe, Britain, Denmark, France, Greece, Poland, and Spain are either debating or preparing similar restrictions targeting younger users. Snapchat, for instance, lists 13 as its official minimum age, though child safety advocates argue enforcement is lacking.
Grassley, speaking during a Judiciary subcommittee hearing on May 13, pointed to recent verdicts tied to claims of social media addiction as a wake-up call for Congress. Protecting children online, he said, will require lawmakers to pursue “meaningful action”—both legislative measures and oversight. Senate Judiciary Committee
Right now, there’s little sign of market anxiety about an imminent federal clampdown. According to Kalshi’s ElectionOdds market, odds sit at just 15% for the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) passing before 2027. If it does get through, KOSA would require online platforms to build in safeguards for minors when creating features.
But there’s a real threat looming for Snap: politics can turn on a dime after a hearing goes live. If testimony gets heated, fresh revelations come out in court, or lawmakers start to align, Snap could be looking at pricier compliance, forced changes to its products, or jittery brands—particularly where younger audiences are involved.
Snap climbed 2.9% to finish at $5.515 on Friday, putting its market cap around $9.3 billion. Investors didn’t seem rattled—shares barely flinched. But the main threat could be moving away from advertising, with Washington possibly stepping in next.
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