Melania Trump acknowledged the criticism her anti-cyberbullying campaign has received while hosting executives from tech and social media companies on Tuesday.
“I am well aware that people are skeptical of me discussing this topic,” the First Lady said at her first public meeting on the issue. “I have been criticized for my commitment to tackling this issue and I know that will continue. But it will not stop me from doing what I know is right. I am here with one goal: helping children and our next generation.”
Trump said fighting cyber-bullying would be one of her key projects as First Lady during a speech just before the 2016 presidential election. The announcement invited immediate backlash, considering President Donald Trump’s frequent and well-documented pattern of insulting people on Twitter.
Executives from companies including Amazon, Google, Twitter, Snap and Facebook were present at the White House meeting. Although most major tech companies carry strict policies against harassment, they tend to depend on users to flag abusive behavior. According to a Pew Research Center poll, online harassment is rampant, with 41% of U.S. adults saying they have been targeted.
Trump said she wants to help out children who have written to her about their experiences in being bullied on social media.
“I believe together we can make a real difference in encouraging positive behaviors on social media,” she said.
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Write to Mahita Gajanan at mahita.gajanan@time.com