Government using ‘every avenue’ to hold tech firms to account, says Norma Foley

By Bairbre Holmes, Press Association

The Government is using “every avenue” to hold tech companies responsible for children’s use of their platforms, the Minister for Children has said.

Norma Foley was reacting to a preliminary finding by the European Commission against US tech company Meta, which said it had “failed” to prevent children under 13 from using its social media sites.

On Wednesday, the European Commission said Instagram and Facebook, which are owned by Meta, are in breach of the Digital Services Act (DSA) for “failing to diligently identify, assess and mitigate the risks of minors under 13 years old accessing their services”.

It said the two social media platforms did not have effective measures in place to enforce their own terms and conditions which restricts their use to those over the age of 13.

Speaking to reporters at the launch of a World Health Organisation report in Dublin, Ms Foley said: “Is there a responsibility on the platforms? 100%.

“And Government is pursuing that through Coimisiún na Meán and every other avenue that is open to us.

“There is absolutely a responsibility. When you have the privilege, I think, of having platforms or anything of that nature, you also have responsibility, and you particularly have responsibility to those who are underage.”

Ms Foley said the Government has a “duty of care” to young people and is taking a number of initiatives to protect them and make them “aware and conscious” of the power of social media.

She defended a multimillion-euro school phone pouch scheme for secondary schools which was announced in Budget 2025.

While it was initially “controversial”, she said: “If you meet with principals today, they will tell you that they’ve been quite transformative within our schools.”

Asked if there was any progress on a potential ban on children under the age of 16 being banned from social media Ms Foley said Media Minister Patrick O’Donovan is “working on more security measures” for under 16s.

“In particular, the whole issue of age verification, which is probably the biggest challenge, but ensuring that there is clear cut identification of underage teenagers as a matter of priority.”