DUBLIN, Ireland: The Government has been charged with "soft pedalling" in its actions against social media misuse because it is "worried about big multinationals".
People Before Profit politician Richard Boyd Barrett called on government parties to support a new law requiring social media companies to disable recommendation algorithms for anyone under 18.
Education Minister Hildegarde Naughton rejected the claim that she and other government members are not serious about protecting children and women online, calling that accusation unacceptable.
Late last week, a European Commission spokesman, Thomas Regnier, said that endless scrolling, autoplay videos, push notifications, and highly personalized recommendations on TikTok can lead people, especially children, to use the app excessively and harm their mental health and well-being.
Last month, a temporary report from Ireland's parliamentary committee on Artificial Intelligence said recommendation systems should be turned off by default, and social media companies should not be allowed to switch them on for children's accounts.
Naughton told RTÉ's This Week in Politics that the government is working with other EU countries on a social media age-verification system and is also focusing on education and awareness for young people.
Ireland's Fiscal Advisory Council says about three-quarters of Ireland's corporate tax comes from large American multinational companies, with technology and manufacturing making up most of that amount.
Boyd Barrett said that even though Ireland is a small country, it should still stand up to big technology companies. Speaking on RTÉ, he said many people are angry that these companies make money from harmful content, including sexual abuse images and misogynistic material, and that similar anger has been seen in countries like Spain and France.
He also said he believes the government is being too gentle because it is worried about upsetting large multinational companies.
He explained that his party introduced the Online Safety (Recommender Algorithms) Bill 2025. The bill would ban recommendation algorithms for under-18s and require adults to actively opt in if they are based on personal or sensitive data. He said this would be a clear step to stop addictive systems that sometimes push harmful or inappropriate content to young people and women.
Boyd Barrett added that if the government is serious, it should support the bill. Still, he thinks it does not want to challenge powerful corporations and billionaires who profit from harmful material.
Sinn Féin politician Eoin O Broin said the government has acted too slowly and that his party plans to introduce a law making it a crime to create intimate images of both children and adults without consent.
He also said police and regulators need more funding and staff to properly investigate the many complaints they receive. He called for stricter laws, more vigorous enforcement, and better resources.
Naughton repeated that it is wrong to say the government does not care about online safety. She said the government is open to reviewing laws, working with European partners, and considering ideas from opposition parties. However, when asked if the government would definitely support opposition proposals, she said she could not decide on behalf of the whole government and that the legislation would need to be examined first.
