Simon McGarr spoke live on RTÉ Radio 1 about TikTok’s decision not to appear before the Oireachtas Media Committee following the M9 crash, in which five teenagers were killed and a family of four was seriously injured.
The Committee had invited TikTok to appear after videos showing wrong-way driving on the motorway remained online following the crash. TikTok declined, pointing to the ongoing Garda investigation; an examination by Coimisiún na Meán, Ireland’s media regulator; and the fact that it was the only platform invited to attend.
McGarr explained that there was no legal reason preventing TikTok from appearing before the Committee, but that it likely chose not to because it was unhappy at being publicly questioned.
“The question is really: if the Committee wants to look into this matter, where can it most usefully put its questions? And probably the answer is Coimisiún na Meán, who will attend as a State body and are charged with managing the regulation of online safety for all the short-form platforms.”
McGarr pointed to the way platform design and monetisation can encourage the spread and re-uploading of harmful videos. He set out that Irish law requires platforms to identify and remove harmful or illegal content quickly, with Coimisiún na Meán responsible for enforcing those obligations. He also highlighted the current enforcement gap, with the position of Online Safety Commissioner currently vacant.
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