Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. Costello and Mr. Ó Broin for coming in, for participating and for their opening statements. Like other committee members, I read the book by Christopher Wylie, who was a whistleblower for Cambridge Analytica, Mindf*ck, a couple of years ago. He clearly detailed his experience working for Cambridge Analytica in respect of misinformation, voter turnout suppression, campaigns and the targeting of sections of society already under-represented because of voter suppression campaigns, which is a terrible use of technology and social media to target people who are already disempowered. The end result of that misuse of technology and social media platforms is that people were less empowered again following the electoral process. Mr. Wylie was doing this work in 2013 and 2014, so it is not particularly new. He went through the detail of how micro-targeting was used to build audiences and heighten their fears, anxieties and prejudices over time. I recommend that anyone who has not read the book read through it or even read The Guardianarticles he wrote about it.

My question is specifically for Facebook. Given there have been terrible consequences from the misuse and abuse of micro-targeting, which has been done through social media platforms, is the cleanest, safest way to deal with safeguarding electoral processes, and safeguarding against manipulation and voter suppression campaigns, to simply ban micro-targeting during political debates, campaigns and elections? What is Mr. Ó Broin's view on that?