TÁNAISTE MICHEÁL MARTIN has singled out Elon Musk as being partially responsible for the violence that has erupted in multiple cities in Ireland and the UK.
He claimed the wider discussion about migration has consisted of “mindless ill-informed” arguments, while much of the recent violence has targeted specific groups, which he considers to be unacceptable.
Speaking on Radio Kerry, Martin said: “I think Elon Musk and I think X is problematic; they have a totally different approach in this.”
Telegram, a messaging platform used during the Dublin riots, saw massive traffic from North America that was “pumped” into platforms in Ireland, Martin says.
According to him, there were “very real issues” in terms of how social media had a role in facilitating violence and the kind of aggression we witness on streets in recent times.
Social media platforms – some cooperate with State authorities, others don’t.
His comments come as Belfast is recovering from multi-day riots that saw people assaulted and premises burned.
The Tánaiste said he was “taken aback” by the scenes.
According to him, there is “mindless ill-informed stuff” going on with regards to the wider issue of migration.
“The level of violence we are seeing in Britain we are seeing in Northern Ireland and to a lesser extent in the Republic simply has to stop,” he said.
“The level of aggression and hate that comes from that is something we should have no part of in Ireland.
“We do have to draw demarcation lines in respect of the nature of protests.”
He added that in a democracy people have a right to protest, argue and advocate.
Therefore there is no need to be wearing balaclavas and material that is intimidating to people.
Minister of Justice Helen McEntee has received preliminary advice on how to address the increase in collective violence but the Tánaiste said there is “far more detail work to be done on that but before it could be realised”.
Respect for difference is fundamental to our value system, Martin said..
“Many of these protests are targeted at particular groups and that is not acceptable and I would be very concerned at what is happening in Britain at the moment and in terms of what is happening in Belfast,” he reiterated.
After the riots in Dublin in November, Minister McEntee had claimed that X did not engage with gardaí and didn’t even fulfill their own community standards.
In response, X said it met with the Coimisiún na Meán on Friday 24 November – the day after the riot. The social media company added that gardaí did not make any formal requests to the platform until late on Monday 27 November.
X claimed that when it was contacted by Gardaí it responded “promptly”.
“The only appeal we have received from the Gardai relating to the enforcement of our rules is for a single post.”
The UK government pledged to take a “very robust approach” to social media companies in the wake of the riots.
British Justice Minister Heidi Alexander told Sky News: “The idea that you can sit behind a computer screen or sit behind the screen of your mobile phone and somehow think that that protects you from the law is for the birds.
“So we will take a very robust approach to the social media companies, I know that Peter Kyle the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology is already in conversation with them.
“There has been some welcome action where there has been automated removal of some false information, but I do think the social media companies could and should be doing more.
They have got a moral responsibility not to be propagating and disseminating misleading and inflammatory content on their platforms.
In Cheshire, two people have been arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated harassment with intent to cause fear and violence after a social media post encouraging members of the public to protest outside a hotel.
A police spokesperson said officers received reports on Sunday of a post on Snapchat encouraging people to attend a protest outside the hotel, which it falsely stated was home to a number of asylum seekers.
The post did not result in disorder, the force said.
With reporting by the Press Association
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