Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

On that point, Ms Sweeney is right. Facebook is a hugely powerful and useful platform. I use it to advertise online because I can target people. We have sought a similar level of transparency from all parties. Members should start to seek such transparency in their own parties, given that we are looking for it from others.

On the power of Facebook, I was given a personal example. The other day I was on Airbnb looking for a house in County Mayo. The next day, on Facebook, Airbnb sent me advertisements for accommodation in the same location. Facebook has power of control of data that no one else has. Google, Facebook, Twitter, Airbnb and Linkedin have the power of an oligopoly which we cannot allow go unchecked and unregulated. There is a real question surrounding the business model. As the use of data and automation increases, it is a power that will kill every other business model. There are issues for policy makers in how we regulate it.