The European Union faces a generational deadline next week for age-based restrictions on social media platforms, the Minister for Communications has said.
Patrick O’Donovan warned that future generations could ask why the EU failed to intervene against social media companies – which make billions of euro in profit each year – to stop children and teenagers from accessing dangerous, damaging and inappropriate content.
O’Donovan has been a vocal proponent of a ban for children below the age of 16 and has used the State’s presidency of the EU Council to advance that agenda. He said on Thursday there was a large number of the 27 countries willing to impose age-related restrictions.
The “big deadline”, he said, is the “state of the union” address to the European Parliament next week, where commission president Ursula von der Leyen will set out the EU-wide position on a social media ban for teenagers.
“I think if we got to a situation where member states were to adopt any age [restriction], that’s a large statement that Europe is now moving to the concept of a digital age of majority and it is also moving to stricter controls and moving away from just regulators,” said O’Donovan.
He was speaking at Dublin Castle during a break in a conference on social media organised as part of the State’s presidency of the EU Council.
Politicians from across Europe, along with young people from the 27 member states, have contributed to the conference.
The EU’s executive vice-president Henna Virkkunen and Irish Commissioner Michael McGrath will attend an informal meeting of EU ministers on Friday, where social media restrictions will be discussed.
O’Donovan said he believes there is growing support among member states for action.
“I feel a clear majority of member states were trying to impress upon the commission the need to act in this,” he said.
He accepts that countries may favour different minimum ages, with proposals ranging from 13 to 16, but says there is scope for flexibility.
He compared that approach to existing differences across Europe in areas such as the minimum age for consuming alcohol and voting.
He also criticised the regulatory approach, arguing that fines imposed on social media companies are not effective.
“Fines are a kind of quasi version of free advertising and in many ways are somehow counterproductive,” he said.
O’Donovan has previously said that if the EU fails to agree a common approach, the Irish Government will move ahead with proposals for its own restrictions.
He said he would be ready to act if there is no agreement at European level next week.
“Even if we don’t get to a European-wide situation next week, and I’m appealing for that, then it’s up to the Government here to act on proposals that I would have to bring forward.”
O’Donovan said the decision facing European leaders was particularly important because of the impact on children growing up with social media.
“In the future, the current generation of kids are going to ask us about it – when I’m old and decrepit and out of this job – ‘you had the opportunity to do something for us, and you did nothing’.”