Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We will have to leave it at that, I am afraid. I have indulged the Deputy for a little longer than his five-minute slot. I thank him. I appreciate his good line of questioning.

It comes to me now. I thank our guests for their presentations. They have been most helpful to our work and our deliberations. To me, social media platforms are currently like the Wild West - anything goes. I do not accept some of the statements today on the swiftness with which harmful online data are dealt with. This comes not only from my own experience but also from the experience of many of the witnesses we have had before us when it comes to protecting children.

I would also make the observation that I see the witnesses' platforms not just as platforms but as moving more into the space of publishers. When we think about our traditional media outlets, such as newspapers, television and so forth, there are really strict criteria regarding what they can put out in terms of fact-based information and there is also the question of objectivity. I do not see that currently within the social media cyberspace platforms. That is a serious part of the work with which we must deal.

The witnesses we have repeatedly referred to the lethargic attitude and reluctance of social media platforms to remove harmful comments and content that was extremely upsetting and harmful to young people and children. I have a specific question in respect of a matter to which Mr. Ó Broin has already alluded. I refer to the fact that there is no timeline for the removal of content. I will put the same question to Twitter and TikTok the same question. Do they have specific timelines in terms of how quickly they react and remove content?

Will the witnesses outline in a sentence or two their interaction with An Garda Síochána? When An Garda Síochána goes go to the social media platforms with content it believes is harmful and constitutes harassment to some of their users, how quickly do they respond? What hoops does An Garda Síochána have to jump through to actually get the response it deserves?

I will go first to Mr Ó Broin. I do not expect he has anything more to say in terms of timelines for the removal of content.