Dáil debates

Wednesday, 14 July 2021

Ceisteanna - Questions

Cabinet Committees

1:02 pm

Photo of Alan KellyAlan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I raise the issue of racism and abuse online and the need for new thinking regarding it. There has been much publicity recently about the abuse three English footballers got after losing on penalties in the European championship. That came just days after a Dublin team, Dynamo Ridgewood FC, was forced to walk off the pitch on Saturday when two of its players were racially abused. Ian Wright was also abused online by a teenager from County Kerry. In February of this year, the UK put pressure on social media platforms to remove racist contributions by threatening them with large fines. It is time we dealt with social media companies that are not taking their responsibilities seriously. This cannot be allowed continue. People anonymously troll people, abuse them, threaten them, racially abuse them and threaten them with various forms of assault. There is use of hate speech, racism and homophobia. As a country, we need to bring in these social media companies and explain to them that we are bringing forward legislation that will mean they have to take responsibility in this jurisdiction for finding and identifying people who behave in such a manner. If people behaved on broadcast media or in print media the way they behave online they would not get away with it. An Garda Síochána would be at their doors.

As a jurisdiction, we have to show leadership and deal with this. Will the Taoiseach commit to meeting the social media platform representatives to make progress on this issue? They are all in this country and most of them are in this city. As a party, we are looking at bringing forward legislation on it.

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