Time of expecting social media sites to remove harmful content ‘is over’

The time of asking or expecting online companies to do the right thing and remove harmful content “is over”, the Minister for Health said as he pledged take a tougher stance on dealing with online platforms.

Stephen Donnelly said the partnership approach between government and social media companies has not worked in the past, comparing it to asking a “tobacco company” to do the right thing.

He made the comments as he announced the Government is establishing an online health taskforce, to develop a public health response to the harms caused to children and young people by online activity.

Mr Donnelly said it has been set up in recognition of research and evidence showing the link between online and physical and mental health harms.

Mr Donnelly said that while the use of Twitter is “phasing out” among young people, Snapchat and TikTok are a “big target” in promoting harmful content.

He also said that harmful content is not limited to social media sites, and is also shared on popular games like Roblox and online chat rooms.

“I think the time of asking or expecting online platforms do the right thing is over,” Mr Donnelly said.

“I think we might as well be asking tobacco companies to do the right thing.

“The online platform, some of them have taken measures. Many of them have not.

“We’re all aware of platforms where they’ve been asked to take down horrific content and refuse to do so.

“I think the partnership approach is over.

“I wouldn’t suggest a partnership approach with tobacco companies. I’m not suggesting the partnership approach with online platforms, We have tried that and it didn’t work.

“I’m suggesting a public health led approach that says our obligation is to keep children safe, and we’re going to do that.

“We have legislation do it already, and if we need that legislation strengthened, then so be it.”

He said children are not safe online, adding that online activities, features and content directed at children are harming them.

“Most of us are aware that children are being bullied online,” he added.

“What people may be less aware of is the extent to which children are being encouraged to starve themselves, eating disorders are being glorified.

“Children are being encouraged to hurt themselves, to cut themselves, to kill themselves.

“Healthy sexual development has been twisted and distorted to encourage acts of sexual violence, largely against women.

“Male supremacy has been glorified to the point that young men are being encouraged to commit acts of violence against women.

“Our mental health teams, our community workers, our GPs, our teachers, our emergency department teams and parents, they are seeing children with mental and physical injuries as a direct result of these online platforms.

“They are telling us that this is happening at scale and that it is getting worse.”

He added: “In parallel with these legislative and enforcement efforts, I’m launching a comprehensive public health approach to online safety for children and young people. I’m allocating a million euro annually for national awareness campaigns.

“These are aimed at young people and parents and guardians to increase knowledge about the harms that are being caused and what parents and guardians can do to keep people and young people safe, and indeed, what young people themselves can do.”

The Department of Health is also allocating additional recurrent funding to CyberSafe Kids.

The taskforce will provide a detailed description of the range of social, mental, physical and sexual health harms being caused to young people as well as providing a clear understanding of the sources of these harms.

It will also include social media companies and online platforms.

Jillian van Turnhout, chair of the taskforce, said: “We will have a series of consultations with children and young people because I do believe that when we talk to children and young people, we will see that they, too, want to join with us in taking this action.

“I don’t see this as as me saying I have all of the wisdom. What we do have is the evidence.

“It is not about us commissioning new research. It is about us looking to see what actions can be taken, what safeguards can be put in place.

“How do we ensure that this persistent crisis that children and young people have of relentless, we all see it, all of us, when we’re online, it’s relentless at times.”