‘Let’s prioritise regulation of social media,’ TD tells Cabinet

THE chairwoman of the Oireachtas Communications Committee has written to all Government ministers to enlist their support for social media regulation and to tell them the ‘time for self-regulation… is over’.

The Communications Committee will this week hear from Facebook, Google, the ISPCC and CyberSafe Ireland to discuss the potential appointment of a Digital Safety Commissioner.

In her correspondence, which has been seen by this paper, chairwoman Hildegarde Naughton outlines to ministers the efforts that have been made by the committee on the issue of social media regulation in recent months – including a tense ‘emergency’ sitting to hear representatives from Facebook in the wake of a distressing and chilling Channel 4 Dispatches documentary.

The TD wrote that in the wake of Facebook’s at the committee, she and her colleagues agreed to ‘prioritise its consideration of the issues around the lack of regulation and legislation governing all social media platforms’.

Facebook, Google, the ISPCC and CyberSafe Ireland have all confirmed they will attend this week’s meeting. Alex Cooney of CyberSafe Ireland said they ‘welcome the introduction of the Bill and the discussion that it is generating at the national level’.

A spokesperson for the ISPCC said the charity believes ‘regulation of this space is essential’.

Newly appointed Communications Minister Richard Bruton appeared before the Oireachtas Committee two weeks ago. He said he had asked the Attorney-General to consider the Digital Safety Commissioner Bill drafted by Sinn Féin’s Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire. The minister told the meeting that ‘any new law must be ‘robust, effective and meets the urgent public policy need to protect children we are trying to address’.