A local senator believes social media self-regulating itself is clearly not working.
It comes following threats aimed at Taoiseach Simon Harris and his family, which was left up on Instagram for approximately 2 days. Monaghan senator Robbie Gallagher welcomed the appointment of an Online Safety Commissioner and called for social media companies who break the Online Safety Code to be given big fines. Speaking on the Joe Finnegan show, Senator Gallagher says the current system of self-regulation doesn't favour the ordinary person.
"If it takes 2 days to remove a post for the leader of a country, what chance to us ordinary individuals have when information such as this is put up online? So, clearly self-regulation is not working and that's clear. We've had many examples of that. I'm delighted to see Government have appointed an Online Safety Commisioner and the establishment of Coimisiún na Meáin. It's up to them now to draw up a Code of Conduct in relation to these platforms and what kind of content is acceptable and unacceptable".
