Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The safety and security of young people online is one of the most pressing child protection issues we are facing at this time. I welcome this report. It presents a thorough analysis of the issues of concern to the wider public, along with 18 recommendations which we hope will address those concerns.

The Internet offers huge benefits to society through the sharing of information and in terms of communications for business and education. However, there are downsides. These range from the protection of personal information online to cyberbullying and child exploitation. A harsh light has been shone on some of the social media platforms, particularly Facebook, in recent months regarding the ability of third-party apps to harvest users' personal data. One of reasons many parents are so concerned about cybersecurity is that young people and children often have far better skills and knowledge of various apps, social media platforms and online services than they do. Parents often feel helpless and unable to keep up with the latest app or social media site. In a few short years the Internet has moved from a desktop computer to smartphones. This has increased parents' concerns because it is now more difficult to monitor children’s online activity.

One of the main recommendations in this report is the establishment of an office of digital safety commissioner. I commend this. This is something for which Sinn Féin, along with Deputy Rabbitte and Fianna Fáil, has advocated for a long time. It has also been called for by the Law Reform Commission. In addition, the special rapporteur on child protection, Dr. Geoffrey Shannon, has fully endorsed it. I consider it a priority. One of the major issues for legislators when dealing with online safety and cybersecurity is that responsibility falls across many Departments. We need a one-stop shop. We need an office which young people, parents, industry and legislators can rely on to advise on best practice when it comes to digital safety.

We all know that digital technology will continue to play an increasing role in the lives of young people. We must be sure that we have the tools to educate young people on how to use this technology in a respectful and safe way. I mentioned earlier that parents are often less savvy than their children in this area, so the education cannot be solely aimed at children. We must ensure that parents are educated and aware of the potential dangers children face when using these services. That is the reason I welcome many of the recommendations which deal with the need for education. The Internet, apps and social media play an increasing role in the lives of children and therefore it is vital that education on them is included in the school curriculum. Students must learn life skills as well as academic studies in school.

I also wish to mention the role of social media platforms in this. The industry has to be aware of its obligations to safeguard users. Indeed, the GDPR regulations go some way towards dealing with the use personal data. While there is an onus on parents to monitor their children’s use of the Internet, there is also an onus on Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram and others to ensure that those who use their services are able to report a problem, whether it is bullying, inappropriate content or a list of other concerns, and that it will be dealt with swiftly. In the committee we have been very clear that it is not acceptable for these companies to wash their hands of such problems. Various representatives told the committee that they will take this issue seriously. We will keep an eye on them over the coming months.

With regard to the Data Protection Bill and the digital age of consent, I particularly welcome one of the amendments that was proposed by my colleague, Deputy Ó Laoghaire, and passed. The amendment in question will protect children from profiling and micro-marketing while online. The amendment will restrict the profiling, harvesting and targeting of children and youths by companies that advertise on social media. This is not just about the nuisance advertisements that appear in the news feeds. Often advertisements targeted at young people are inappropriate and in some cases they are pushing certain agendas. The advertisements can be quite harmful to young people by making them very conscious of issues such as their appearance or body shape.

In summary, I welcome this report. The proposals it contains are sensible. They are built on those made by the Internet content governance advisory group in 2014. It is a shame that some of those recommendations are still outstanding. They should be implemented without delay. This is a very complex issue, but it must be tackled. The Internet is not going away. It is something people grow up with and is part of life, so we must reflect that in how we approach it.

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