LEO’S SNUB TO CYBER EXPERTS

Taoiseach to launch online safety plan... but the State’s top internet safety specialists haven’t even been consulted!

THE Government will today launch a new online safety policy – yet it hasn’t consulted many of the country’s top cyber experts on the plan.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar will unveil the measures amid growing concerns about the impact on children of cyber-bullying, social media pressures, grooming and pornography. However, the Irish Daily Mail has learned that leading Irish experts – including several world-renowned internet academics – have not even been asked to give any input into the proposals.

Dr Mary Aiken of UCD, considered the world’s top cyber-psychologist, last night confirmed that she had not been involved in putting together the new policy.

She told the Mail that she had not even been invited to the launch, taking place this morning, nor had she been consulted.

The Mail also understands that Professor

Barry O’Sullivan of UCC, who runs one of the largest data analytics centres in the world, has not had any input.

Prof. O’Sullivan said he was not aware of the Government’s launch this morning, but that he would be ‘very interested’ in what was actually being launched.

The Government has also made no contact about the online safety policy with Terry O’Sullivan, the Co. Kerry principal who has received nationwide acclaim after agreeing a smartphone-free policy at his school in Blennerville.

The school introduced an 11week trial, which found that children were happier, healthier and performed better at school when they did not have smartphones. Parents also reported family relationships improved significantly.

The move was a strong vindication for the Mail’s campaign for a minimum age for smartphone ownership. It was also a hammer blow to the tech industry apologists and political hand-wringers who have spent months claiming such measures are unnecessary and unworkable.

Mr O’Sullivan last night told the Mail: ‘This is the first I have heard of this action plan. Given our own successful campaign, I would have liked to share my views.’

He added: ‘It might have made sense for the Government to consult with our school, just to see how it worked for us as the teachers, the parents and the children in the school.’

In April, Mr O’Sullivan said the Government should legislate to bring in smartphone age limits.

By contrast, the Government has insisted that the way to prevent children being bullied online or accessing pornography – even at very young ages – is by teaching them to avoid harmful content.

Only last week another opinion poll found a large majority of parents believed that smartphones were stopping their children exercising and playing, while US studies have shown a horrifying rise in child anxiety, depression and even suicide since the advent of the smartphone.

In February, an Irish survey revealed 75.7% of people are in favour of under-14s being banned from having smartphones.

And an Irish Daily Mail/Ireland

‘I’d have liked to share my views’

Thinks poll, published in January, showed 69% of people support a smartphone ban for under-16s

A petition signed by more than 2,000 readers of this newspaper calling for an age restriction to be introduced on smartphones was also handed over to Minister for Communications Denis Naughten.