SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES “dining out” on the idea that Ireland will not be robust in relation to online safety are about to find out how “extraordinarily wrong” they are, Taoiseach Simon Harris has said.

The comments come after another death threat was made against the Taoiseach and his family, with the threat understood to have remained online for a number of days before being removed. 

Speaking to reporters today against the backdrop of violent scenes in Northern Ireland and the UK, Harris highlighted the role of social media companies and their responsibilities.

He vowed to hit social media companies where it hurts – in their pockets – if they fail to comply with their obligations around online safety. 

By the end of this year, the Online Safety Code from Coimisiún na Meán will be introduced, which will see financial sanctions and personal liability for company executives introduced. 

‘Era of self-regulation is over’

He told the media that the “era of self-regulation” of these social media platforms is “well and truly over”.

Ireland’s new body for regulating broadcasters, on-demand services and online media, has previously indicated that it will have the power to impose fines of up to €20 million for breaches of the code.

Going one step further today, Harris indicated that it is not just the social media companies that could face sanctions, but the owners and executives of these companies also.

Harris said the binding code will be operational by the end of the year and will have an “ability to hold directors personally responsible because essentially, these social media companies aren’t actually faceless”. 

Social media company owners “make a hell of a lot of money”, said Harris, adding:

That’s fine, but they also do need to abide by the laws of the land and accept their responsibility.

Yesterday, Tánaiste Micheál Martin singled out Musk as being partially responsible for the violence that has erupted in multiple cities in Ireland and the UK.

Martin 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.”

Social media bosses

While the Taoiseach said he did not intend to “massage” the ego of such owners by  talking about them directly, Harris was specifically asked about X owner Elon Musk.

Harris indicated that he would be open to meeting social media executives, but added that the government already engages with the companies. 

“Elon Musk is a citizen of wherever in the world and that’s fine. My concern isn’t that Elon Musk or Mark Zuckerberg, whatever their name is. My concern is the protection, safety and well being of people in this country, of the European Union, of which we’re a member of, the young people whose parents have pangs of anxiety about the impact that online and social media has on their children’s well being,” said Harris. 

“Quite frankly, not enough is being done in this space by anybody anywhere,” the Taoiseach said. 

Harris told reporters that he plans to convene a meeting of all relevant state agencies, stakeholders, and others to see what more Ireland can do both as a country on our own but also through the European Union. 

He said a situation has evolved on social media describing it as the “wild west” while other traditional media platforms have to follow the rule of law. 

“There are there are children mentally unwell in our country today as a result of this. There are probably children and young people who may not be with us today, in this world as a result of cyber bullying, online bullying.

“So with companies that make great billions of euros and dollars and everything else, and fair play to them, that comes with great responsibility,” he said, adding that by the end of the year “there will be very clear rules that the companies need to abide by and if they don’t, there is an ability for those companies to be fined and for individuals to be held responsible”. 

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