Photograph: Stephen Collins/CollinsA ban on social media companies using recommender algorithms to suggest content to under-18s is to be proposed in the Dáil by People Before Profit. The private member’s Bill, which is due to be debated in the Dáil this week, opposes any ban on under-16s having access to social media, arguing that many children would find a way around the age ban and still be exposed to extreme material. It argues that changing how social media companies recommend material to young people would be a more effective means of preventing them seeing harmful content. Recommender algorithms profile internet users based on their age, profile and social media use, and then direct them to similar content, some of which can be extreme. “I would say 16- and 17-year-olds are among the most targeted with toxic content by the social media companies,” said People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy.

Source: The Irish Times March 03, 2026 07:43 UTC