Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is not all bad. We all use our guests' platforms to get our messages across. In the context of some of the great social events and movements in recent years, social media has been used really effectively. On issues such as the marriage equality referendum and climate action, social media platforms have played a really important role. On the other hand, there is what Senator Hoey outlined, namely, the toxic abuse that happens online.

My first questions are for Mr. Costello. Some of the horrible anonymous online abuse aimed at journalists in recent weeks has come to the fore. These are journalists who are just doing their job and they are subjected to harmful anonymous abuse. It is really important that journalists be allowed to use these platforms to get across accurate information and news. How can we counteract the abuse they get from anonymous accounts? Mr. Costello might also respond to Senator Malcolm Byrne's question on the scale of the problem and the number of videos that have been taken down.

Turning to Mr. Ó Broin, I presume I can ask questions specific to Instagram and WhatsApp since, as I understand, they are part of the same company. Online bullying in WhatsApp groups is very prevalent and I imagine it is much more difficult to moderate because what are almost chain messages are sent on from group to group or person to person. Screenshots are often taken and sent between groups. How is that counteracted? Is there a method of regulating and monitoring it? This is an important issue. Instagram has become a platform used for the spread of misinformation, more so than the others. I refer, in particular, to the vaccine roll-out and the effectiveness of vaccines. Instagram account holders with quite large followings are unchecked, unmonitored and unregulated in how they spread misinformation. These are not just expressions of opinion but rather false information that is contrary to public health. How can that be counteracted?

My final questions are for Dr. Bertram. I could be wrong, and he can contradict me if that is the case, but I assume that TikTok is one of the most popular platforms with the younger generations, and particularly those who are still in school. Dr. Bertram may have heard that when secondary schools students appeared before the committee, they asked for safe online behaviour, to protect against harmful material, to be taught to them by online activists. Would it be possible for the likes of TikTok to reach out to these online activists and resource them in order that they can visit schools and teach students about safe online behaviour? As Dr. Bertram may have heard, the students who appeared before the committee do not believe that parents or teachers have that connection.