Minister for Communications Patrick O’Donovan has likened granting children unrestricted internet access to serving them a gin and tonic at a bar counter.
The minister made the remarks following a Government announcement of an age verification feature to be incorporated into a new national digital wallet aimed at protecting children online, reports RTE.
This initiative follows Australia’s pioneering move to become the first nation worldwide to prohibit social media access for those under 16, with several countries closely monitoring the outcome.
As of midnight in Australia, individuals under 16 are barred from using ten major social media services, including TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram, with companies facing substantial penalties for non-compliance.
Minister O’Donovan stated that Ireland is closely observing the impact of the Australian policy while advancing its own age verification solutions.
Mr O’Donovan pointed to recent advancements in establishing an age verification system linked to Ireland’s forthcoming digital wallet, reports RTE.
Although Mr O’Donovan has not formally proposed a minimum age for online consent, sources indicate the Government supports setting it at 16.
“You wouldn’t allow a child in to a bar to sit up at the counter and drink gin and tonic,” Mr O’Donovan said at Government Buildings.
“We’re allowing children access, in an uncontrolled manner, to some of the most heinous material online, reports RTE.
“As a parent and as a teacher, but more importantly, in this role as minister with responsibility for it, it disappoints me that we’re in a situation where we have to act on our own over the last number of years, that we haven’t got to consensus in Europe with regard to how we move forward on this.
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“I hope to use, as the chair of the European Council of communications ministers next year, the opportunity to push this really to the fore and the theme of our department will be ‘protecting the child online,’” he said, reports RTE.
The digital wallet project is being spearheaded by the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer, while the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport is collaborating on integrating an age verification function.
Mr O’Donovan said: “Great progress has been made with regard to the implementation of Ireland’s online safety framework, and I commend Coimisiún na Meán for this work.
“Now, we must ensure that the measures that have been put in place are as effective as possible, and the key to this will be the introduction of a robust and secure age verification tool.
“It is a vital part of the picture in terms of providing real assurance that children are the age they claim to be and to ensure they are not exposed to harmful or illegal content.” reports RTE.
Age verification will require the use of MyGovID, though personal data will not be disclosed to internet service providers.
A pilot programme involving approximately 2,000 users is scheduled for launch in the first quarter of next year, with Mr O’Donovan noting that supporting legislation will also be necessary, reports RTE.
Advocates for child online safety have repeatedly urged the Government to compel platforms to disable recommender algorithms that direct harmful material toward minors.
However, Coimisiún na Meán opted not to enforce such a requirement when transposing the Digital Services Act last year, deferring the matter to EU-level decision-making.
Mr O’Donovan expressed frustration that the European Commission has yet to mandate platforms to deactivate harmful recommender algorithms for minors, emphasising that this falls under EU jurisdiction rather than national authority, reports RTE.
Online safety advocates note that several EU countries, including France, Italy, and Spain, have already imposed restrictions on children’s access to social media.
Technology Ireland, the Ibec body representing the tech sector, welcomed the development, stating that a “robust, technology-led age verification framework is central to enhancing online protections for young people”.
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