Senior representatives from major social media companies have rejected claims that their platforms are addictive, as they faced intense questioning from Irish lawmakers over online safety, harmful algorithms, and the exposure of children to inappropriate content.
Executives from Meta, TikTok, Snapchat, Google and Microsoft appeared before the Oireachtas Committee on Children and Equality, where TDs and Senators raised concerns about how recommender systems shape user behaviour and what safeguards exist for minors.
During the hearing, Sinn Féin TD Claire Kerrane asked TikTok whether it accepted that its platform could be addictive. Richard Collard, TikTok’s Minor Safety Public Policy Lead, rejected the description.
“We wouldn’t agree with the term addictive,” he said, while stressing that the company prioritises child safety. He explained that TikTok’s algorithm is designed to filter millions of daily uploads into content considered relevant to users.
Questions also focused on how platforms handle harmful material. Fine Gael TD Grace Boland asked Meta whether content relating to suicide and eating disorders could appear on its services. Meta’s Director of Public Policy in Ireland, Dualta Ó Broin, said such material is prohibited.
“It is not allowed,” he said, adding that while enforcement is strict, no system can fully eliminate harmful content. He said Meta uses proactive moderation and user reporting systems to limit exposure.
Ó Broin also told the committee that Meta has “fundamentally changed” how teenagers use Instagram and Facebook through restricted “teen accounts”, parental controls, and tighter content limits for younger users. He said the company is continuously adapting its systems in response to risks facing minors.
The hearing comes amid growing regulatory pressure. Earlier this week, Ireland’s media regulator Coimisiún na Meán launched investigations into Meta over how its recommender systems operate on Facebook and Instagram. The European Commission has also found preliminary breaches of the EU Digital Services Act, citing concerns over child safety protections and so-called “dark patterns”, which may influence user choices in deceptive ways.
Under EU rules, recommender systems use personal data such as watch time, location, and past activity to curate feeds rather than showing posts chronologically. Regulators have raised concerns that such systems may increase risks for vulnerable users, particularly children under 13.
If found in breach, companies could face fines of up to 6% of global turnover.
Snapchat’s representative, Freddie Cook, said the company supports stronger age-appropriate design standards but warned that regulation alone is not enough. She called for improved education and mental health services alongside platform safeguards.
“We know we must continually improve these systems as offenders constantly adapt,” she said.
TikTok’s Susan Moss said safety tools alone are not sufficient, adding that parents play a central role in protecting young users and that the company is focused on improving parental awareness.
Committee chair Keira Keogh said previous hearings had revealed widespread concerns about addictive design, algorithmic exposure to harmful content, and emerging risks from AI-generated material. She said the engagement with platforms was essential given their widespread use among children and teenagers.
