Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We had a previous discussion about how there is a high bar in order to be qualified as a trusted flagger. We looked at that. Trusted flaggers have to be independent of any online platform. They are obliged to be objective. They are obliged to be accurate when submitting notices. Every trusted flagger which has that status will have to publish an annual report that outlines its activities in this space. That report can be published.

The digital services co-ordinator can investigate trusted flaggers. There are checks and balances in relation to their behaviour. The trusted flagger does not have the final say regarding what content should be taken down. That is important as well. It flags content through an expedited channel.

Again, I emphasise that what can be taken down will be illegal content. There is a pretty high bar for what defines "illegal content". I absolutely understand where the Deputy is coming from, but I think we do have the checks and balances in place to try to make it as effective as possible, so that the role of the trusted flagger, which is a very important one, is transparent and their qualification criteria are quite high. Again, we are focusing on illegal content, and not on content that people may have a political difficulty with or a values difficulty with. It is a matter of illegal content.