Online ‘wild west’ must end, says Tánaiste

The Irish Deputy Prime Minister has committed to enforcing age verification in online spaces.

Writing for the Irish Examiner, Simon Harris outlined his concerns about safety online, saying the “idea that the online space can be like the wild west is just not acceptable any more”.

Last year, he convened an online safety summit where the implementation of the new online safety code was discussed.

Adolescence

In his piece, Harris wrote how, as a father of two children, he was deeply moved by the hit Netflix show Adolescence, which highlights how easily children can access harmful online content.

He explained the response to the programme had made him “more determined than ever to address an issue that requires an all-of-Government and all-of-society response”.

He asserted: “The era of self-regulation is over and in this vein I am committed to examining ways to enforce age verification obligations on online service providers and hold them to account if they fail to do so.”

Enforce online safety

Harris continued: “The Government, in conjunction with the EU, is taking steps to regulate social media and we are committed to supporting and funding Coimisiún na Meán to enforce the online safety code.”

He also highlighted the need for greater digital literacy, and for it to be included as part of the school curriculum with Government support and funding.

Harris noted the cost of inaction: “The result is that a generation of boys struggle to form healthy relationships. They are less emotionally resilient and are at risk of internalising damaging ideas about gender and identity.”