Fine Gael TD Grace Boland has said it is “very difficult” for parents to compete with tech companies on the issue of child safety.
The Dublin Fingal West TD was speaking in the Dáil on the issue of a proposed EU-wide social media ban for under-16s.
“As a parent, as a TD and as a member of the committee on children, I have yet to meet someone who is not deeply concerned about the impact of social media on our children. That is why the proposed EU Kids Act is so very welcome,” she said.
Boland said that there is now widespread awareness of the negative impact of social media on children and teenagers, but now the law must catch up with political rhetoric.
In September, the proposed EU-wide ban on social media for under 15s was announced, with Fine Gael MEP Regina Doherty saying at the time it will “protect children.”
Doherty said “the EU is finally taking serious action to protect children online. It has listened to parents and experts and developed a plan that can have a lasting impact on future generations.”
“Children are spending hours glued to their phones while parents are left fighting billion-euro technology companies and powerful algorithms alone. That has to end,” she said.
Closer to home, Boland said it was now a case of having the regulation implemented “as swiftly as possible.”
With Facebook, Twitter, Google, and TikTok among the tech giants with European headquarters based in Dublin, Boland said that the government must use its leverage on tech companies to enforce safety standards for younger users.
“There are organisations right across this country, including Turning Tides in my area in Skerries and It Takes a Village in Greystones, that are coming together because they are lacking the national and European leadership.”
“They are doing everything they can to try to delay smartphone usage. However, it is very difficult for parents when we are going up against the might of tech companies. I think we all have to accept that there really needs to be national and European regulation on this to make sure the tech companies are implementing safety by design,” Boland said.
Fianna Fáil TD Charlie McConalogue said that the government were looking to use the EU Presidency, which expires in December, to help enforce the changes.
“It is really important that we see it be effective first within our country and that is going to be our objective, certainly, from a Presidency point of view,” he explained.