Paul Murphy: Calls to Turn Off Toxic Algorithms to Protect Children
Paul Murphy urged the government to prioritise children's safety over big tech profits and demanded social media algorithms that drive harmful content be switched off. He said a bill to turn off "toxic algorithms" will be introduced on Thursday and pressed regulators over mass production of child sexual abuse imagery.
Main demand
Paul Murphy framed the debate as a clear choice between the profits of big tech corporations and the health and safety of children. He asked whether governments will follow Commission Neumann's original advice to turn off algorithms that maximise eyeballs and profits at the expense of vulnerable users.
Examples cited
He pointed to the mass production of child sexual abuse imagery and sexual abuse imagery of women as evidence of the harm being caused. He referenced a protest outside the offices of X at the weekend in response to the Grok app and the way big tech is using AI.
Legal and regulatory context
He reiterated that the 1998 Act makes any sharing, generation or possession of child abuse images illegal and must be prosecuted, and noted that the Gardaí are pursuing such cases. He said the European Commission has responsibility for very large online platforms like X and that Commission Neumann is working with the European Commission regarding what has transpired with the Grok app.
Regulatory enforcement cited
He rejected suggestions of a lax regulatory environment by pointing to the Data Protection Commission's enforcement record, noting the DPC levied $4 billion in six years on technology companies.
Planned legislation
He announced that a bill to switch off the toxic algorithms will be introduced on Thursday and pressed the government to back turning off algorithms that push hateful, misogynistic, suicidal material and eating-disorder content toward young people.
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Thanks. Tijak, I think that your government and governments around the world have a very important choice to make. And the choice is whether the profits of big tech corporations is going to come before the health and safety of our children. Because for now these interests are counterposed. We saw it in a very stark way in the mass production of child sexual abuse imagery and sexual abuse imagery of women. On Grok there was a protest outside of the offices of X at the weekend. I know you have previously heralded AI as an industrial, akin to the industrial revolution, comparing it to the printing press. Well this is how it's being used by the big tech corporations. A big question is going to be whether we're going to follow the original advice from Commission Neumann to turn off the toxic algorithms on social media. These are algorithms made to maximise eyeballs on the screen, maximise profits, which push hateful, misogynistic, suicidal material, eating disorder on young people. Do you agree we should turn off the toxic algorithms? We're going to introduce a bill to do that on Thursday. Deputy Murphy talked about nothing can come before the health and well-being and safety and security of our children. No company can. And the 1998 Act is very, very clear. Any sharing, any generation, possession of child abuse images, child sexual abuse images, is illegal and must be prosecuted. Gardaí are pursuing it. The European Commission has responsibility for very large online platforms like X, and they are, and the Commission Neumann are working with the European Commission in respect of what has transpired with the Grok app. And it is a very serious situation. And I would point out that comments are made very generally about Ireland and the regulatory environment. The DPC levied $4 billion in six years on technology companies. That's not evidence of people taking it a light-handed approach.
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