The Media Minister must ensure that a website linked to the deaths of two Irish people detailed in a report today by The Journal is blocked with immediate effect, according to Social Democrats TD Sinéad Gibney.
Deputy Gibney, who sits on the Oireachtas AI Committee, said:
“Firstly, my thoughts go out to the victims of this website and their families. It is a State failing that dangerous content like this is allowed to exist and is accessible at the touch of a button.
“Ireland is not taking its responsibilities to protect people from online harms seriously.
“While we repeatedly hear statements and expressions of concern from Government, we have not seen tangible action to make the internet safer.
“As long as our regulators allow websites like this one to be accessible in Ireland, which features discourse that promote suicide and self harm, we will continue to see tragedies occur which might have been avoided.
“The victims of these harms and their families deserve so much better from those who are meant to protect them.
“We need regulation with teeth which will ensure websites like this one aren’t available here, like the UK and many other countries have already done.
“Those who are vulnerable and experiencing suicidal ideation need support from mental health services. With long waiting lists and underfunding in the sector, it is beyond tragic that those in need of help are turning to websites like this one.
“It’s clear that Coimisiún na Meán is not doing enough, or is not empowered to do enough, to combat online harms. Minister Patrick O’Donovan must address this deficit.
“Online safety must be prioritised.
“Social media companies must be compelled to turn off toxic recommender algorithms, and we must impose real fines and penalties for social media companies that fail to comply with the laws we have.
“If any physical product was as harmful as the algorithms, they would be pulled from our shelves. Yet the Government has refused to look at solutions that put the onus on social media companies to clean up their platforms.
“I have written to Coimisiún na Meán and the Media Minister to immediately block this website. We cannot leave our most vulnerable people exposed to these harms any longer. The Minister must take this situation into hand and impose genuine regulations that will bring about real change.”