Advisory group begins consultation on cyberbullying

Minister for Communications Pat Rabbitte has announced the launch of a public consultation by an expert advisory group on internet content.

The Internet Content Governance Advisory Group, chaired by Dr Brian O'Neill of DIT, will seek views from on a series of questions reflecting the main themes of its work including regulation, governance and internet safety, bullying and harassment. accessing age-inappropriate content online, and education and awareness raising.

Mr Rabbitte established the advisory group last year to consider and advise him on emerging issues around internet content generally and specifically its general impact on the lives of children and young people.

He told the Dáil the issues were complex and involved balancing fundamental and constitutional rights with the protection of children and young people.

The Minister was speaking during a debate on the report by the Oireachtas transport and communications committee on addressing the growth of social media and tackling cyberbullying.

Mr Rabbitte said “the fundamental reason why this debate exists at all is simple: widespread internet access has given people great power and reach, the power to access and share information, the power to conduct business or the power and consume media, all in a way that is utterly transformative”.

He added: “It should not surprise us, regrettable though it may be, that there are those who would misuse or abuse this power.”

Chairman of the committee John O’Mahony said it was “difficult to get ahead of the curve” on this issue because the technology was changing so quickly. “By the time one problem is addressed, another presents in a manner not envisaged even a few months earlier,” he said.

Mr O’Mahony highlighted the report’s recommendations, including the State considering legislation to create a new offence of incitement to commit suicide. “The offender can be jailed or fined whether or not suicide resulted or was attempted,” he said.

He also suggested following the British example where “school principals have a direct line where they can phone a person in an agency who can direct them on what is available to them or how they can deal with a situation”.

The Fine Gael Mayo TD said parents often unwittingly help their underage children to open accounts on social media sites and "parents must be better informed and educated in a better way, including about their responsibilities in this area".

Fianna Fáil communications spokesman Michael Moynihan said action had to be taken to deal with the growing problems of cyberbullying. "The State cannot disregard its responsibility in this area by saying that social media is too difficult an area to regulate."

He said awareness campaigns and better education were essential “but strong sanctions are also needed to act as a deterrent”.

Sinn Féin's Michael Colreavy said it was legislators' role "not to suffocate social media but instead to work with the industry in an attempt to make social media as user-friendly and safe as possible".

A member of the committee which compiled the report, he pointed to their findings that 17 per cent of 12- to 18-year-old students had suffered cyberbullying at least once. Mr Colreavy said “A number of very young people from my area have died by suicide. In some of these cases there was evidence that they were victims of cyberbullying or cyber-abuse prior to their deaths,” Mr Colreavy said.

“I would love to think our report and the actions to follow would ensure that I would never again have to share the desperate anguish and pain of parents, families, friends, neighbours and communities mourning the premature death of a young person following sustained periods of cyberbullying, yet I know this will not be the case. We can only do so much.”

Information about the consultation and a reply form is available at: dcenr.gov.ie/Broadcasting/ICG/Links+and+Resources.htm