Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Tuesday, 11 May 2021
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills
School Bullying and the Impact on Mental Health: Discussion (Resumed)
Mr. Philip Arneill:
Self-regulation is not working. We have evidence that it is simply is not working. We must stop being so naive. These companies are profit-making and the only thing really that will make a difference is if it affects their bottom line. It is not sufficient to ask them to regulate themselves. When it comes to age verification, it is not working. Children are already online. These platforms and the Internet, on a bigger level, were not designed for children. We must push back on social media companies. If there is the political will, they have the resources and the technology to create more ethical design when it comes to their platforms. This is the responsibility of Government. We must push back and try to get this regulatory power back in the hands of the Government when it comes to social media platforms.
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