Social media companies are putting society at risk by failing to remove content showing dangerous and illegal activities, Ireland’s Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke has warned.
His comments come after a fatal crash on the M9 motorway that claimed the lives of five teenagers and seriously injured four members of another family.
The collision has intensified scrutiny of social media platforms following reports that videos showing children driving dangerously, including travelling on motorways in the wrong direction, have been circulating online.
TikTok has been invited to appear before the Oireachtas Committee on Media to discuss the issue but has declined the request. The company said it could not attend because of the ongoing Garda investigation into the M9 crash, a separate examination by Coimisiún na Meán and the fact that it was the only social media company asked to appear.
Speaking on RTÉ’s This Week, Burke said social media companies had a major responsibility to ensure dangerous material was identified and removed quickly.
“We’ve seen how many people have been let go from social media companies over the last number of months, and yet this content keeps appearing,” he said.
Burke argued that the continued appearance of such material showed that current moderation systems were not working effectively enough.
He said the safety of children must take priority over financial considerations and warned that the Government would take action when social media platforms were considered to be putting people at risk.
The comments follow a week of mourning after the M9 crash, which occurred when a car carrying the five teenagers travelled on the wrong side of the motorway before colliding head-on with another vehicle.
Joe Carthy, Alex McCarthy and Kamil Pustkowski were among those killed. Their funerals took place on Friday, while funerals for Jeremy O’Brien and Jack Kennedy are due to take place on Sunday and Monday.
Three women and a child travelling in the other vehicle were taken to hospital with serious injuries.
A vigil was held in Carlow on Friday in support of the injured family.
The crash has prompted wider debate about the role social media can play in encouraging or promoting reckless behaviour, particularly among young people.
Burke said the Government would not hesitate to intervene where online platforms failed to address content that could endanger the public.
His remarks add to growing pressure on technology companies to demonstrate that they have effective systems for detecting harmful material and preventing it from remaining available to users.
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