A Meath TD has called for the government to take ‘urgent action’ to protect children from the harmful content they are accessing online.
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Education and Youth, Darren O’Rourke TD made this argument following the publication of the 10th annual report from CyberSafeKids, Ireland’s online safety charity.
‘The Year Little Changed’ report reveals that 70% of children aged 8-12 still have accounts on social media platforms with over-13 age restrictions, despite a raft of new legislation at both Irish and EU level.
One in four children reported negative experiences online, including exposure to scams, misinformation, and sexual content.
“After ten years of CyberSafeKids reporting on children’s online experiences, we are still seeing the same patterns. Regulation has not delivered meaningful change for our children,” Deputy O’Rourke told the Irish Independent in a statement.
“The report shows that while we have been debating bans and age limits, children are accessing platforms that were never designed with their developmental needs in mind,” he said.
“They are encountering harmful content at alarming rates, and the laws meant to protect them are not being enforced. We are arguing over whether to lock the door while the laws already meant to protect children inside go unenforced. That is simply not good enough.”
“The report also highlights the skyrocketing use of Generative AI among young people, with 55% of 8-12 year olds and 76% of 12-15 year olds using the technology.
“As spokesperson on Education, I firmly believe the Government must act to embed digital literacy as a core part of the school curriculum,” Deputy O’Rourke said.
“We need to equip our children with the critical thinking skills to navigate the online world safely and to spot misinformation and harmful content. Digital literacy cannot be an optional extra. It must be at the heart of how we prepare young people for the world they are growing up in,” he argued.
“This is a life skill as fundamental as reading and writing. I welcome the existing work underway, including the Digital Media Literacy short course and the Webwise programmes, but this report shows we need to go further and faster. We cannot afford to wait another ten years for meaningful progress.”
The Sinn Féin Deputy also called for a shift in how online platforms are regulated, calling for a requirement to be proved by companies that their products are safe, before access may be granted to children.
“We have heard from Ministers and regulators for years that the era of self-regulation for Big Tech is over, but this report asks whether that is actually true,” Deputy O’Rourke said.
“The answer, clearly, is no. We need a new approach. Companies must be required to prove that their products are safe before they are allowed anywhere near our children. Safety must be built in from the outset – not bolted on as an afterthought.
“The report is clear that child safety measures have not resulted in any meaningful improvement. Regulators must close the gaps this report identifies, and platforms must be held accountable.
“The Government must act now – to embed digital literacy in the curriculum and to ensure that companies are held to account for the safety of their products. Our children deserve nothing less,” Deputy O’Rourke finished.