Damage caused by social media is ‘public health’ challenge of our time – Martin

Micheal Martin said the damage caused to young people by social media is the “public health” challenge of our time.

The Fianna Fail leader said there is a need for a serious public debate around the issue, saying that the Government needs to engage with social media companies.

He also said he “didn’t agree” with the decision by social media giant Meta to lower the minimum age to use WhatsApp

The change, which reduces the age limit from 16 to 13, came into force in the EU and UK on Thursday.

“I don’t agree with that. I think this is the serious stuff we’ve got to engage with and we will engage with the technology companies,” Mr Martin said on Saturday as the Fianna Fail Ard Fheis got under way.

“I think the elephant in the room today, and there is maybe a few elephants in the room, but one crucial one is the damage social media is doing to young people and to children.

“We need a real serious public debate.

“The research is there and emerging in terms of the damage that’s been done to children and young kids.”

“I think that is the big elephant in the room.

“I think that is the public health challenge of our time.”

He said he believes that “we’ve all backed” off the issues cause by social media.

“People are very concerned about AI. This is huge industry,” he added.

“I also feel that we were all brought along on the tide of it, that this is wonderful new technology, that is fantastic.

“And there’s huge positives in online and social media – huge positives.

“But in terms of education, in terms of connectivity of young people, in terms of bullying, in terms of psychological impacts and the manipulation of algorithms, the apps that underage children are on.

“There are huge issues. I think we’ve come late to that side of the story around the internet, social media and so forth.

“It’s interesting, (there is) a lot of that focus on AI, there was a greater preparation around that. But there wasn’t the same sort of alarm bells ringing.”

Mr Martin said he does not use TikTok on government phones but was aware the Taoiseach Simon Harris had been posting on the social media giant in his government office, despite warnings.

“I don’t use TikTok on government phones and we have far increased security around our government phones and government email systems,” he told Newstalk.

In December, Mr Martin took legal action against Google over ads that were linked to him in the public interest.

He launched the court action against the tech giant over ads that were “linked” to him, with the High Court issuing a court order to force the multinational to hand over information about the adverts.

Mr Martin said the ads suggested he was endorsing cryptocurrency companies.

He said he believes that there was cooperation from the company because of his position in government.

“But where’s the citizen? What opportunity has a citizen?” he added.

“I’m not finished with that job, because a lot of material has come in and what’s interesting is this could be part of the model.

“A similar thing happened just two or three weeks before the referendum.

“I was kind of plastered all over X (formerly Twitter), as endorsing (a fake ad).

“I’m encouraging people, apparently, to invest and that I found this ‘ingenious way’ – this is all fixed.

“Then X says it is taking it down but then it reappears again.

“Now the problem for us is in politics is what happens in the middle of a general election if more refined methodology emerges?

“We still have to go to court to get a court order.

“So I think the technology companies have to get to grips with their model, and really understand that they’re part of a society.”

Minister for Education Norma Foley said that social media could face fines amounting to millions of euro if they failed to comply with safety regulations.

She said that Coimisiun na Mean, the newly established regulator for broadcasters, on-demand services, and online media, will have “considerable power and force”.

She also appealed to parents of primary-school children not to buy smart phones for their youngsters.

Ms Foley added: “I have met with a wide variety of the social media platforms and I am very, very keen in this space, that we would do all that we can, in particular to protect young people.

“I’m very keen, for example, around the area of age verification.

“I have consistently asked that would be a priority for them.

“I am very, very pleased that Coimisiun na Mean is up and running in terms of the regulation that they would have.

“The considerable power and force that they would have in terms of regulation.

“If various platforms are not complying as they should, in terms of health and safety aspect, particularly for young people, that there will be considerable fines there, whether it would be 20% of their overall profits.

“We’re actually talking millions of euro here and I think that’s right and proper.

“For our part in education, we’re doing all that we can to inform parents, to inform young people.

“It’s a growing area of incredible concern. I think it’s quite appalling to see that there are children as young as six and seven, who not only do they have a smartphone, but we are told that there are children being groomed online.

“There’s exchange of very inappropriate images, extortion, and content also that no young people really should be exposed to and no family, no parents or guardians want them to be exposed to.

“It is a minefield and I think people have to be very cognizant of the decisions that they make, particularly for our younger people and to safeguards need to be there.”