The hearing in the Senate comes after several revelations that the business owner knew that social media was harmful to young people.
- Sometimes young people carry difficult problems when they come to Instagram.
On these occasions, I think Instagram can help many of them, Mosseri said in his introductory presentation in the Senate.
Instagram's own research supports the claim, he said.
Harmful to young people
The hearing comes after several high-profile revelations shook the company.
Reputable The Wall Street Journal has in a number of articles unearthed internal documents which, among other things, indicate that the Instagram owner Meta (formerly Facebook) knew that the company's products were harmful to young women.
The corporate giant has denied the information, but at the same time promised improvement.
However, the reporting has created waves in the political sphere, which now demands a response from Instagram manager Adam Mosseri.
Led by senators
The hearing was chaired by Senators Richard Blumenthal and Marsha Blackburn.
- I hope you understand the frustration that the American people feel.
They appreciate what the internet can do, but feel that you are turning a blind eye to how your apps create addictions and affect children, Blackburn told Mosseri.
Mosseri testified before the Senate under the description "Protecting children online: Instagram and reforms for young users".
According to the Senate, the purpose of the hearing is to "clarify what Instagram knows about how they affect young users, their commitments regarding reforms and potential legislative solutions".
Instagram has previously, after criticism, chosen not to continue with work on a version of its platform specifically aimed at children.