Politics

Helen McEntee: Social media platforms must take down threats immediately

Threat posted on Instagram against Simon Harris and his wife and children was ‘absolutely appalling’, Minister says

Gardaí are investigating after the wife and children of Taoiseach Simon Harris were threatened by an Instagram user
Vivienne Clarke
Wed Aug 07 2024 - 11:23

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said it is “not good enough” that “something clearly a threat” was not taken down for two days from a social media platform.

Ms McEntee told Newstalk Breakfast that a threat, whether it was online or in person, was illegal and should have been taken down immediately.

Gardaí are investigating after the wife and children of Taoiseach Simon Harris were threatened by an Instagram user at the weekend.

The threat against Mr Harris and his wife and children, posted on Instagram, had been “absolutely appalling”, the Minister for Justice said.

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“The fact that this is online is no different to if someone had done it in person, in front of them, in a way that maybe we’ve been more used to in the past. It is absolutely appalling that anybody would think that they could threaten any person online.”

Ms McEntee said social media companies had a role to play in making sure such content was removed as quickly as possible especially in cases where the content was clearly illegal.

There is ongoing engagement between the gardaí and social media companies, she said. The new online safety commission Coimisiún na Meán would also be involved and would have the “teeth” to ensure that social media companies were forced to comply to act immediately, the Minister added.

Later on RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland, Ms McEntee said the era of self-regulation for social media companies was over.

“We have now an online safety commissioner, one of the few countries to actually have an online safety commissioner. The sole focus and role would be to make sure that social media companies‚ where there was harmful content, but also with illegal content, that it’s taken down, that social media companies play their part and where they don’t, that there are serious penalties imposed.”

Coimisiún na Meán is working on a code of practice that should shortly be finalised and would be implemented by the end of the year, resulting in hefty fines where social media companies do not engage, according to the Minister.

Vivienne Clarke

Vivienne Clarke is a reporter