‘We will force the pace on web safety watchdog’
Martin ‘frustrated’ by Taoiseach’s approach
FIANNA Fáil leader Micheál Martin has said the party is ready to ‘force the pace’ in the creation of a Digital Safety Commissioner’s office that would have powers to take down abusive online posts.
In an interview with the Irish Daily Mail, Mr Martin said it is ‘frustrating’ that the Government has taken so long to move on the issue.
He added that he doesn’t under- stand why there is an apparent ‘reluctance’ from Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to embrace such a move. Mr Martin said Fianna Fáil would be ready to push ahead with its own legislation to create such an office if the Government doesn’t.
The Fine Gael-led minority Government had previously promised to create such an office, but this commitment appeared to be longfingered when it launched its coolly received Action Plan for Online Safety last summer.
At the time, it argued that the establishment of such an office was more complex than had been anticipated. Shortly after his appointment as Communications Minister last October, Richard Bruton declared the era of self- regulation was over and that he was consulting with the Attorney General on the feasibility of a Sinn Féin Bill to create an office of Digital Safety Commissioner.
But Mr Martin said: ‘I don’t understand why there is reluctance on the Taoiseach’s behalf and on the Government’s behalf to embrace the idea of a Digital Safety Commissioner.’
He acknowledged the benefits and ‘pluses’ technology offers to this generation, but pointed to his own experience speaking in schools to students where he talks to them about the need to look out for each other. Mr Martin, a former schoolteacher, said: ‘In earlier times, there was always bullying maybe in the schoolyard or out and about, but it ended there. Now, the young child is taking it home in their pocket. So there are issues and there is also the broader issue in terms of the whole tracking technology – it’s just an enormous revolution.
‘And the idea that we don’t reflect on it, and absorb the lessons to be learned from it and how we mitigate any damage that can happen to our young people, I think is beyond me.’
Asked what practical steps his party will take to help speed up the process of appointing a watchdog this year, Mr Martin said: ‘We will say to Richard Bruton if he doesn’t come forward quickly with proposals for legislation, we will force the pace in terms of bringing forward our own legislation.’
The legislative proposal for a social media tsar came from Mr Martin’s constituency colleague, Sinn Féin TD Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire. His Bill – broadly supported across the Dáil – seeks to create an office that would have the power to order companies to remove ‘harmful content’.
His proposal was recently examined by TDs and senators on the Oireachtas Communications Committee, which is soon set to instruct the Dáil that the legislation should proceed. Mr Bruton last week refused to outline a timeline of when a regulator would be appointed, as he told the Mail setting a date would be ‘deceiving people’ as the Government does not yet have a ‘satisfactory definition’ on harmful content, which he said is an important aspect of the proposed legislation.
Responding to Mr Martin’s comments, a spokesman for the Taoiseach said: ‘We support the establishment of a Digital Safety Commissioner with the power to require digital companies based in Ireland to take down harmful content. However, there is no agreement as yet among the parties as to exactly how harmful content should be defined, how we can ensure free speech is not compromised and we do not in return end up with censorship. It’s easy to call for something. It’s quite a different job make it happen.’
‘No agreement among parties’
IT IS quite shocking, given all that we have learned of the dangers that various digital platforms present to children, that we are still at the discussion stage of appointing a Digital Safety Commissioner.
While there may well be legal questions that need to be addressed, this is no excuse whatsoever for the Government to put this crucial appointment on the long finger, failing even to put a timeframe on it.
In a situation, therefore, where the Government has abdicated its responsibility, it is extremely heartening to hear another party leader set out his stall and declare that he is prepared to force the pace on this issue.
Micheál Martin has already shown his mettle in this area – and despite intense lobbying from vested interests – with his courageous support for the raising of the digital age of consent.
Now it is clear that he is determined to push through the appointment of a Digital Safety Commissioner.
In adopting this uncompromising stance, the Fianna Fáil leader is rapidly becoming, in political terms, the chief protector of Irish children and the politician most prepared to do whatever needs to be done to keep them safe. It is greatly to his credit that he has taken this position on such a hugely important issue.