Róisín Garvey (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his time today. I welcome the Digital Services Bill. It is a pity Senator Keogan has left. Each provision in the Bill is necessary for Ireland to fulfil the mandatory requirements on member states under the EU regulations. I do not know what the big debate about it is. It just has to be done. We are in the EU and these are EU regulations we have to stick to.

The EU digital services regulation establishes clear and proportionate rules to protect consumers and their fundamental rights online while simultaneously fostering innovation, growth and competitiveness. It aims to rebalance the responsibilities of users, platforms and public authorities according to European values, placing citizens at the centre. The benefits for stakeholders include better protection of fundamental rights, more control and choice, stronger protection of children online and less exposure to illegal content. I do not see anything to object to there. Benefits also include greater democratic control and oversight over systemic platforms and mitigation of systemic risks such as manipulation or disinformation. Fines of up to 6% of the worldwide annual turnover of a provider if it is found guilty should be something that might teach providers to care a little more. We often see the complete or scant disregard by big social media platforms in letting mistruths go exponentially. Sadly, we see it working in this country. I have always looked at America in pity at how polarised it has become, but if we do not get this right, and that is why this Bill is so important, we are going down that same road, where it will be 50% for and 50% against every single issue, and there will be no debate or nuance. It will just be completely polarised. It is not just the big companies that are at it. It also suits the far right. We had a case in County Clare in a place near Corofin where they decided to have a blockade. It was never on the radar, it was never going to be used for international protection applicants, IPAs, and all of a sudden there was a blockade. One of the lovely old men from the neighbourhood was walking past and was hospitalised for absolutely no reason. We have to take back some control of the appalling misinformation that exists.

Unfortunately, while people may not be gullible, they are believing. Seeds of doubt are being sown. It sounds so barbaric, it puts fear in people and, as a result, fear is driving people, even though we are the country of a thousand welcomes and we have in fact taken in more per population than any other country in the world when Ukraine and the IPAs are taken into consideration. It is just sad to see a misrepresentation of our great people when these kind of things happen. It demonstrates the risks posed by illegal and harmful online content. Ordinary citizens are being completely misinformed and misled. The sooner we can deal with that issue and people are held accountable the better because blatant lies are being told. It is putting the fear of God into people. Those people are being used by a certain minority with its own agenda and the whole thing is becoming really disturbing.

The Digital Services Act is very important. We have to have it done by 17 February. It is great that the Minister, Deputy Martin, got the Coimisiún na Meán off the ground because so many people are affected, whether it is children bullied online or, like the old man in Corofin, being hospitalised for absolutely no reason, or people being ripped off by purchasing things that do not exist. It is to be hoped this will go a long way in helping to protect our people and in helping us to get better at making sure the truth prevails.