Ireland, together with fellow European Union countries, is considering a ban on children and young people accessing social media platforms – known as the “digital age of majority” – according to a spokesperson for the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.
“Ireland is of the view that it would be preferable for any decision to be taken by the EU and EU Member States together and that we should have regard to the rights of children and young people,” the spokesperson said, reports RTE.
“In that context, it should be noted that in September, European Commission Ursula van der Leyen announced that she would establish an expert panel to examine the issue, including the implementation of Australia’s social media age restriction policy and advise her on the best approach for Europe in taking next steps on social media regulation,” they added, reports RTE.
The department’s remarks come amid news that technology leader Meta is beginning to delete accounts of under-16s in Australia from Instagram, Threads and Facebook in preparation for the nation’s pioneering youth social media prohibition.
Australia is mandating that leading online platforms, such as TikTok and YouTube, prevent underage users from accessing them by December 10, when the legislation takes effect, reports RTE.
Firms risk penalties of Aus$49.5 million (€28 million) for not implementing “reasonable steps” to adhere.
“While we are working hard to remove all users who we understand to be under the age of 16 by 10 December, compliance with the law will be an ongoing and multi-layered process,” a Meta spokesperson said, reports RTE.
Younger users can preserve and retrieve their digital histories, the US firm’s representative noted.
“Before you turn 16, we will notify you that you will soon be allowed to regain access and your content will be restored exactly as you left it,” it added., reports RTE.
Hundreds of thousands of teenagers are anticipated to be affected by the prohibition, with Instagram alone citing around 350,000 Australian users between 13 and 15.
Certain well-known apps and sites like Roblox, Pinterest and WhatsApp are excluded, though the exemptions are still being evaluated, reports RTE.
Meta affirmed its dedication to following the Australian regulation, but argued that app stores should shoulder responsibility for age verification.
“The government should require app stores to verify age and obtain parental approval whenever teens under 16 download apps, eliminating the need for teens to verify their age multiple times across different apps,” the spokesperson said.
“Social media platforms could then use this verified age information to ensure teens are in age-appropriate experiences,” they added., reports RTE.
YouTube has likewise condemned the social media restriction.
The streaming service stated this week that the legislation would render young Australians “less safe” as under-16s could still browse the site without logging in but would forfeit protective YouTube filters, reports RTE.
Australia’s communications minister dismissed the contention as “weird”.
“If YouTube is reminding us all that it is not safe and there’s content not appropriate for age-restricted users on their website, that’s a problem that YouTube needs to fix,” Communications Minister Anika Wells said.
“This specific law will not fix every harm occurring on the internet, but it will make it easier for kids to chase a better version of themselves,” she added, reports RTE.
An online rights organisation last week initiated a court challenge to pause the ban.
The Digital Freedom Project announced it had contested the measures in Australia’s High Court, labelling them an “unfair” attack on freedom of expression.
Australian officials anticipate that defiant youths will attempt to evade the rules. Guidance cautions they could upload forged IDs or employ AI to age their images.
Platforms must create their own strategies to prevent such circumvention, but “no solution is likely to be 100% effective”, according to the online safety authority, reports RTE.
There is widespread curiosity about whether Australia’s broad curbs will succeed, as overseers worldwide grapple with social media’s risks.
Malaysia has signalled intentions to bar children under 16 from registering social media accounts next year, and New Zealand plans a comparable prohibition.
In a separate development, the European Commission has launched a probe into Meta regarding its introduction of AI capabilities on WhatsApp, over fears the firm might have leveraged its market power to exclude competing AI chatbots from the service.
A WhatsApp representative has called the allegations groundless, reports RTE.
Irish media regulator signs online safety agreement with Australia
In the meantime, Coimisiún na Meán has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Australia’s eSafety Commissioner.
The pact confirms the organisations’ aim to partner on online safety, reports RTE.
Coimisiún na Meán stated the collaboration seeks to boost knowledge in digital oversight and online protection via sharing data, insights, effective methods, approaches, and details on technical systems and tools.
“We look forward to continuing to collaborate with the Australian eSafety Commissioner on areas of common interest, including sharing best practices on online safety,” said Online Safety Commissioner at Coimisiún na Meán Niamh Hodnett.
“This Memorandum of Understanding will help us work towards ensuring a safer and more positive online environment for all our citizens and support wider regulatory co-operation,” Ms Hodnett said, reports RTE.
Australia’s eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said partnering with global peers enables bolstering online safety worldwide while honouring each country’s rules.
“This agreement reflects Australia and Ireland’s shared commitment to embedding safety into the very architecture of digital products and services, improving platform accountability, and building safer, more rights-respecting online experiences for all,” Ms Inman Grant said.
“Ireland and Australia are particularly aligned around the protection of minors and the successful implementation of age assurance technologies,” she added, reports RTE.
The MoU outlines shared priorities for Coimisiún na Meán and the eSafety Commissioner in enforcing online safety regulations in Ireland and Australia.
The MoU also emphasises opportunities for joint efforts in crafting policies and conducting online safety education initiatives, reports RTE.
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