Marshals Service to personally subpoena the CEOs." The subpoenas were issued after weeks of negotiations and repeated refusals from the companies to appear before the committee.

The hearing, scheduled for December 6th, will focus specifically on child sexual exploitation online, a growing concern that has raised alarms among lawmakers, regulators, and the public. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin and Senator Lindsey Graham emphasized the urgency of addressing this issue, stating, "Big Tech's failure to police itself at the expense of our kids cannot go unanswered."

While Meta (formerly known as Facebook) and TikTok are expected to voluntarily testify at the hearing, the committee found it necessary to issue subpoenas to Discord, Snap, and X (formerly known as Twitter) due to their refusal to accept service of the subpoenas. Discord and X's non-compliance required the committee to seek the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service to personally deliver the subpoenas to the CEOs.

The decision to subpoena these companies reflects the growing scrutiny and criticism that social media platforms have faced for the harm they cause to children and teenagers. Particularly, Meta has been facing significant legal challenges, with 41 states and Washington, D.C. suing the company for its alleged contribution to the youth mental health crisis. The lawsuit accuses Meta of knowingly designing features on Instagram and Facebook that addict teenagers to the platforms.

The Senate Judiciary Committee's hearing aims to address these concerns and hold social media companies accountable for their failures to protect children online. The committee remains in discussions with Meta and TikTok, expecting that their CEOs, Mark Zuckerberg and Shou Zi Chew, will testify voluntarily.

In light of the highly sensitive nature of child sexual exploitation, the committee's hearing is expected to shed light on the measures that these social media giants have in place to protect children and teenagers from such threats. The testimonies of the CEOs will play a crucial role in informing the committee's efforts to combat the crisis of online child sexual exploitation.

The Associated Press writer Barbara Ortutay in San Francisco has contributed to this report, highlighting the significance of this issue and the national attention it has garnered. With the Dec. 6 hearing approaching, the focus on child protection online remains at the forefront of discussions, with the Senate Judiciary Committee taking bold steps to address the failures of Big Tech in safeguarding our children.