Irish leaders criticise social media platform X for failing to combat harmful content

Ireland’s Taoiseach and Tánaiste, Leo Varadkar and Micheál Martin, have criticised social media giant X for falling short in removing harmful content. Expressing concerns about the platform’s departure from community standards, they emphasise the need for limitations on free speech.

The government leaders also raise alarms about X’s responsiveness during the recent Dublin riots, signaling a broader call for increased regulation of social media platforms and an assessment of X’s impact on democracy and society.

Why does it matter?

This development coincides with preparations by Ireland’s Media Commission, under the leadership of Jeremy Godfrey, to implement the European Union’s Digital Services Act, specifically targeting major tech entities such as Google and X, whose headquarters are in Dublin. Nevertheless, skeptics within the EU harbor concerns about Ireland’s potential leniency towards social media regulation owing to its close affiliations with prominent US tech corporations, driven by appealing fiscal incentives. This dynamic could prompt substantial inquiries into Ireland’s capacity for impartial and rigorous oversight of these influential tech players.