Frances Black (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for their presentations. Deputy Chambers covered many of the questions I wanted to ask. This area is a minefield. As Deputy Connolly said, it is very upsetting to hear about what is happening. We know what is happening and we know about online abuse. We hear stories of children being bullied online and suicides. I am a grandmother with two very small grandchildren - two beautiful little girls. I often think "my God, what's ahead for them?" To think about what can happen to children between the ages of six and 18 who are online is pretty shocking.

Some of the recommendations in Professor Carthy's presentation were very interesting. His presentation was really powerful. As he notes, it is quite simple. It is not rocket science but I imagine there would be a significant backlash from the big corporations because Professor Carthy's suggestion will have an impact on their profits. I know what that is like in here and what such a battle can look like and about trying to get as much support for what one is trying to do. I know Airbnb has a system where someone registers for an account and must provide a scanned version of his or her passport to verify his or her identity. That is one example of how it works. The companies will come before this committee next week. What does Professor Carthy think they will say about this? What will be their protests? He mentioned that they will protest against it so what will they say? I hear what An Garda Síochána is saying but at the end of the day, it is like road safety. What will the companies protest about? What are their arguments against it?