Former Arima Mayor Cagney Casimire is calling on parents to protect their children from the dark side of social media, where misuse and abuse can occur.

His concern follows US Senate hearings yesterday, where the heads of several social media companies were questioned on the issue.

During at the hearing, Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg apologised to families who say their children had been harmed by social media.

Meta’s platforms include Facebook and Instagram.

In a post on the Facebook page for the 45th Mayor of Arima, Mr Casimire said there were horrific discussions on sexual exploitation, child grooming, child predators, mental health, identity abuse, and the use of AI online.

He also believes that laws in T&T are not adequate or sufficient to address these issues.