The social media company X, previously known as Twitter, did not engage with gardaí regarding “vile posts” on its platform following the stabbing incident and rioting in Dublin last week, the Minister for Justice has said.
Helen McEntee told the Dáil on Wednesday that “some” social media companies were “responsible” during the events last Thursday while “others were not”.
“I spoke to a detective in Pearse Street on Saturday who was actively engaged with the social media companies throughout Thursday, who was actively engaged with TikTok, Meta or Instagram and Facebook and Twitter or X,” Ms McEntee said.
“She said very clearly that social media companies, in particular TikTok and Meta, they were responding, engaging with gardaí and taking down these vile posts as they came up. X were not. They didn’t engage. They did not fulfil their own community standards.
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“That is why we are moving to a situation where these companies do not get to self-monitor, that’s why Coimisiún na Meán have been established, to make sure that these companies are held responsible because while some were responsible, others were not.”
Ms McEntee was responding to Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns, who said “far-right ring leaders” were posting public messages on Twitter, Telegram and other social media platforms from lunchtime last Thursday.
Ms Cairns said the messages were there for “everyone to see” and asked was anyone in Government or Garda HQ reading them, adding “apparently not”.
Separately during Leaders’ Questions, Ms McEntee said the Government was working to identify new centres and accommodation for those seeking international protection in response to Solidarity TD Mick Barry.
She said these were the “very people” that the “thugs and scumbags” sought to intimidate during the riots.
Ms McEntee said the Minister for Integration Roderic O’Gorman and his department were working to secure accommodation, which included tents.
“It is not what we would want but it is better to have a roof over people’s head and to support them in whatever way that we can,” she said.
“I accept there are real pressures at the moment on international protection and accommodation…If the Department is unable to provide accommodation for anyone, mitigation measures will be put in place. We saw that before and it will happen again.”
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