People Before Profit’s Online Safety (Recommender Algorithms) Bill 2026 will be debated at Second Stage in the Dáil tomorrow morning, Wednesday 4th March, and will be voted on tomorrow evening.
The Bill requires social media platforms to turn off recommender algorithms for under 18s. It also requires that recommender algorithms based on profiling or sensitive personal data have to be actively turned on by adult users.
Yesterday evening, the Government said they will oppose the Bill.
People Before Profit’s Paul Murphy said “Tomorrow morning, People Before Profit will use our Private Members Business time in the Dáil for a Second Stage debate on our Online Safety (Recommender Algorithms) Bill 2026.
“The provisions of the Bill require social media corporations to turn off recommender algorithms for children aged under 18 and ensure that recommender algorithms based on profiling or sensitive personal data have to be actively turned on by adult users.
“Toxic social media algorithms are driving an epidemic of mental health problems among young people, with anxiety, self harm, eating disorders and online addiction all spiralling. They are also driving hate and violent misogyny.
“An Ireland Thinks poll in October found that 68% of people across Ireland want social media recommender algorithms to be switched off by default so users only see posts from people and topics they choose. The poll also found that 74% of respondents were concerned about harmful content targeting children.
“It’s clear that the public wants action on toxic algorithms, but this evening I have been informed that the Government will oppose our Bill. A Government amendment states it will oppose the Bill:
‘on the grounds that the issues the Bill seeks to address are already being addressed by Coimisiún na Meán, Ireland's independent online safety and media regulator, through its implementation of Ireland's Online Safety Framework, together with the European Commission’
“I have no confidence in this. In 2024, Coimisiún na Meán’s draft Online Safety Code included a recommendation to turn off recommender algorithms by default. However, this recommendation was scrapped following lobbying by the big tech companies.
“In January, Tánaiste Simon Harris said
If we have a situation now where there’s child sex abuse imagery circulating around the European Union… there are some things clearly more important than money
“But now it seems that was just some public hand-wringing and that money is more important to this Government than the health and safety of the public.
“After everything that has been revealed in recent months about what social media platforms are prepared to do for money, pumping dangerous content at children for money, producing sexual abuse imagery of children on an industrial scale for money, the Government still won’t do anything to put the protection of the public and of children ahead of the profits of big tech.
“This is the most craven of actions by the most craven of Governments, and in the debate tomorrow we will call them out for this unforgivable failure to protect the public.”