Johnny Mythen (Wexford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 10:

In page 19, line 9, 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”.

In a democratic society, the common good must be sacrosanct before the private interests of big business. Currently, independent academic researchers, digital analysts and policy experts cannot access the data from social media companies they need to do their job to protect the interests of the public. As I highlighted on Committee Stage, the purpose of amendment No. 10 is to address this by giving the commission or headquarters of online regulation the power to deem appropriately what information should be given over and the power to compel those companies to do so.

This issue was also highlighted in the joint committee work in pre-legislative scrutiny where the committee recommended that provision be made in the legislation to enable public-interest research based on data provided by regular platforms. Amendment No. 35 is a new amendment based on discussions that took place on Committee Stage on this issue. I accept that the issue is difficult to legislate for, but I do not believe we should leave this legislation today without having made some inroads on the issue. The amendment is a simple one that calls for experts within the commission to examine the issue as was raised by the joint committee and by several witnesses, and to make recommendations on same.

See this speech in context