Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Tuesday, 25 October 2022
Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media
Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022: Committee Stage
Johnny Mythen (Wexford, Sinn Fein)
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I move amendment No. 14:
In page 19, line 4, after “efficiently” to insert the following: “, including the power to compel online services to provide any data requested that pertains to public interest research, or any data that the Commissioner deems to be relevant in protection of the common good in a time specified and determined by the Commission”.
This amendment is very simple and includes the power to compel online services to provide any data requested that pertains to public interest research, or any data the commissioner deems to be relevant in protection of the common good in a time specified and determined by the commission. This was already discussed in the Seanad. We want to tweak it a bit. We are really concerned about it. The entire committee had agreed for data to be collected for public interest research. The Minister knows how these big companies work. They collect data and profile people, particularly children. They also target certain areas and sell on the data. This would provide the means to make them really accountable.