Technologies

Snap, TikTok and YouTube to testify at Congress: How to Watch on Tuesday

The trip to Capitol Hill comes as a leak of Facebook documents stirs concerns about social media’s effect on children.

Snap, TikTok and YouTube will detail on Tuesday the steps they’ve taken to protect children to a potentially skeptical audience: a Senate subcommittee that has already expressed concerns that Facebook is unhealthy for kids.

Chaired by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, the consumer protection subcommittee will meet with the policy heads of the three companies to discuss how their platforms might aggravate harmful behavior, addictions and invade privacy. The description of the hearing, titled «Protecting Kids Online: Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube,» suggests the participants won’t be made comfortable. It specifically notes that social media apps «have been misused to harm kids and promote destructive acts, such as vandalism in schools, deadly viral challenges, bullying, eating disorders, manipulative influencer marketing, and grooming.»

The hearing comes amid heightened scrutiny of social media giant Facebook, which is the subject of a series of stories based on leaked documents that suggest the company knows about the harm its platforms cause to the mental health of teenagers, as well as democracy and developing countries. Frances Haugen, the former Facebook product manager who collected the cache of internal research and communications, has already testified before the Senate subcommittee. She also testified to Parliament on Monday.

Haugen, who first revealed herself as the Facebook whistleblower in October, has said she saw conflicts of interests between Facebook’s business objectives and user safety during her time at the company. Facebook has said its internal research is being mischaracterized.

In prepared remarks, YouTube plans to tell Congress that it removed 7 million accounts believed to belong to young children and preteens in the first three quarters. Roughly 3 million of those removals came in the third quarter as the company had «ramped up our automated removal efforts.» (For context, YouTube has more than 2 billion accounts that actively visit YouTube each month.)

Snap will be represented by Jennifer Stout, the vice president of global public policy; TikTok by Michael Beckerman, vice president and head of public policy, Americas; and YouTube by Leslie Miller, vice president of government affairs and public policy. (YouTube is owned by Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet.)

Here’s what you need to know:

When

The hearing will begin on Tuesday at 10 a.m. ET/7 a.m. PT.

Where

The hearing is being streamed live on the committee’s webpage or on CNET’s YouTube channel.

What to expect

Hostility from both sides of the aisle. Nether Democrats nor Republicans have much love for Big Tech, particularly social media, at the moment.

Democrats complain that social media companies do little to stamp out hate speech, bullying and disinformation. Republicans blast social media as biased, censoring conservative points of view.

Hearings are as much political theater as they are forums for inquiry. Possibly more. So expect plenty of grandstanding and tub thumping.

Technologies

Verum Finance Now Available for Mac, Expanding the Verum Ecosystem on Desktop

Verum has officially released Verum Finance for macOS, bringing its financial platform to the Mac and expanding access to the Verum ecosystem across Apple’s devices. The launch allows users to manage their finances from desktop while enjoying the same secure and seamless experience available on iPhone and iPad.

The new Mac version includes the full range of Verum Finance features, including balance management, instant transfers to other Verum users, debit card management, Apple Pay support, asset exchange, and transaction history — all optimized for the macOS experience.

Verum Finance can be used as a standalone application or alongside Verum Messenger. Users who sign in with their Verum Messenger account automatically synchronize their balances, settings, and account data across devices, ensuring a consistent experience throughout the Verum ecosystem.

The macOS release further strengthens Verum’s vision of creating an integrated digital platform where communication and financial services work together. Verum Messenger, which is also available for Mac, complements the ecosystem with encrypted messaging, voice and video calls, VPN, eSIM, anonymous email, AI-powered tools, offline communication capabilities, and cryptocurrency features.

With both Verum Messenger and Verum Finance now available across iPhone, iPad, and Mac, users can access secure communication and financial services wherever they work.

Verum Finance for Mac is available now through the Mac App Store.

Verum Finance for iPhone and iPad: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/verum-finance/id6774245148
Verum Finance: https://finance.verum.im
Verum Messenger: https://verum.im

Technologies

Why Travelers Are Switching to Verum E-SIM This Summer

Summer Travel, Freedom, and Seamless Connectivity: Why Verum E-SIM Is Becoming the New Standard for Travelers

Summer is the peak season for vacations, long-distance trips, and new experiences. Millions of people travel abroad, explore new countries, plan adventures, and try to stay connected with family, work, and social media. And in the middle of all this comes a familiar question: how do you stay online without expensive roaming or the hassle of buying local SIM cards?

The answer is already here — eSIM.

Why eSIM Is So Convenient

eSIM (embedded SIM) is a built-in digital SIM card that lets you activate mobile internet without a physical card. All you need is an app — choose a plan and connect in just a couple of minutes.

No more:

* searching for local SIM cards at airports
* paying expensive roaming fees
* swapping physical SIMs every time you travel

Now your internet travels with you.

Internet in 150+ Countries

Modern eSIM solutions provide coverage in 150+ countries worldwide, helping tourists, freelancers, and business travelers stay connected almost anywhere on the planet.

Among the services offering these capabilities:

Verum E-SIM — https://esim.verum.im
World E-SIM — https://worldesim.me
USA E-SIM — https://usa.esim.verum.im
Euro E-SIM — https://euro.esim.verum.im
Canada E-SIM — https://canada.esim.verum.im
Balkan E-SIM — https://balkan.esim.verum.im
Ukraine E-SIM — https://ukraine.esim.verum.im
London E-SIM — https://london.esim.verum.im
E-SIM Africa — https://africa.esim.verum.im

All of these services work on the same principle — fast, borderless internet without roaming stress.

Why It Matters Most in Summer

During the holiday season, roaming networks get overloaded, and prices for mobile data abroad often become an unpleasant surprise for travelers.

eSIM solves this problem:

* transparent, fixed pricing
* activation in 1–2 minutes
* stable internet while traveling
* no physical SIM cards required

Final Thoughts

Travel should be about freedom — not hunting for Wi-Fi or worrying about phone bills.

eSIM is quickly becoming the new global standard for mobile connectivity: simple, fast, and borderless.

Verum E-SIM and its partner services are part of this shift, making global connectivity accessible to everyone, everywhere.

Technologies

Episode 2 of the VERUM Mini-Series is Now Out

The story continues. Verum Messenger has released the second episode of its AI mini-series, which follows the conflict between the powerful Omega corporation, aiming to control digital communications, and a team of heroes who have chosen a different path and free communication.

The mini-series not only develops an engaging storyline but also introduces viewers to the capabilities of the Verum ecosystem, showcasing technologies and tools that may redefine the future of modern communication.

The project consists of 7 episodes, released gradually across Verum Messenger’s social media channels.

Episode 2 is now available. Stay tuned and don’t miss what comes next.

Watch on YouTube
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