Johnny Mythen (Wexford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Online safety must be a priority for us all. Self-regulation is not a deterring factor in addressing online safety. The competition alone between high-tech companies will drive these companies and platforms to use their lobbyists and power to comply with as little regulation a possible and the dilution of the same. We have witnessed the very destructive nature of the so-called recommender algorithms. The simple answer is to turn them off. We have heard the story of young people and minors in our communities being coerced and manipulated and being brought down rabbit holes into self-harm, eating disorders, cyberbullying, grooming, pornography and suicidal ideation, and older people being scammed and, in some cases, losing their entire life savings. Overseas youth organisations are standing up and speaking out, saying the older generation is letting them down. Some of them complained about their attention span and concentration abilities correlating with the 30-to-40 second TikTok or Instagram clips. They are asking how we could let this happen when we were the adults in the room.

I fear for the future of our youth, including the young people of my county of Wexford. As the Government and Opposition, we have a duty of care. We see the Australians are taking a robust approach, being the country to impose the world's first ban on children under the age of 16 years using TikTok, Alphabet's YouTube, Meta, Instagram and Facebook. However, we believe this is not the solution. In my own county of Wexford, we have seen the human cost, from teachers dealing with phone disputes to bullying online resulting in serious mental health issues and, in some cases, suicide. Parents, An Garda Síochána and schools in Wexford are doing their best, but they need more robust enforcement legislation to curtail recommender algorithms with more accountability and transparency. Platforms must be made to reduce exposure to content with violence, self-harm, bullying and intimidation. Robust appropriate age checks must be part of these regulations. We need to step up and challenge these platforms now. The stakes are high, as our young people are exposed to overwhelmingly complex and sophisticated tech industries that are driven by super profits and powerful individuals. As a member of the AI committee, I welcome the establishment of Coimisiún na Meán. However, it must be well resourced, with firm enforcement procedures, so that our children, older people, small businesses and communities are protected and safe from exploitation, manipulation, scams and harmful content.

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