Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Once again, we have Fianna Gael and their pals Fianna Fáil pointing to problems without doing anything to actually resolve them. You would swear this happened yesterday and that it has not been around for years, but it has. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael Governments since 2011 and beyond have failed to act. Now, there is talk about doing pilot schemes. The Tánaiste said he is considering a ban on social media for under-16s and the Minister said he is not in favour of a ban. Debating sounds good in the media while big tech companies are getting away with breaking the laws that already exist which are there to protect our children and are not being enforced. Some €3.26 billion in fines has been issued by the Data Protection Commission to these companies in the past five years. Less than 1% has been collected. They are some of the biggest companies in the world and less than 1% has been collected. If this Government was really serious and stopped all the waffle, it would force those companies to pay the fines they got.

There is no way for an ordinary person to opt out of gambling ads and gambling platforms online. Vulnerable people in recovery are exposed to material they do not want to get. When we discussed gambling regulations in the gambling control Act, we pointed this out at the time. People cannot opt out on their phones. The technology exists - they should be allowed to opt out on their phones. These big companies look at these vulnerable people not as individuals but as pounds, euro and money. For many young people, their phones are a lifeline, an escape and a connection to their friends. It is important that we do not come to the Chamber just pretending that does not matter, because it does. Young people matter and their voices must be heard in this debate. Young people deserve to be respected, to be safe online and to be listened to. The solution is not to take them offline, it is to protect them and force the big tech companies to make sure it is safe online for them. The tech companies have algorithms that push eating disorders, target young men with toxic masculinity, sexualise young children and promote suicidal ideation. Young people need protection. We have to force these big tech companies to make sure young people are protected. The whole area of age verification must come in. The technology exists but the big tech companies will only do it if the Government forces them to. Children and young people must be listened to and included.

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