Fianna Fáil TD urges simple parental control of social media algorithms

Fianna Fáil TD Ryan O’Meara has called for a clear and accessible way for parents to switch off personalised social media recommendations on their children’s accounts.

His appeal follows the European Commission’s publication of the proposed EU KIDS Act on 17 September, which aims to introduce “safety by design” through new restrictions on children’s access to social media, stronger protections against harmful algorithms and greater parental supervision.

O’Meara, the Tipperary North TD, said parents are rightly concerned about the endless stream of content pushed towards children based on what keeps them watching, clicking and scrolling. He argued that parents should not have to navigate complex settings to protect their child and that a straightforward option to disable personalised recommendations is essential.

The Fianna Fáil education spokesperson added that achieving significant change will require a common European standard, rather than isolated national measures. Under the existing EU Digital Services Act, very large online platforms must already offer at least one non‑profiling recommendation option.

Research by Coimisiún na Meán released on 10 September found 69 % of children preferred online safety education over a ban, while 49 % of parents shared that view. The study also reported that 33 % of children had experienced upsetting online content in the past year, rising to 46 % among 16‑ and 17‑year‑olds.

Earlier this year, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael rejected a Dáil motion from People Before Profit that would have turned off “recommender algorithms,” a proposal similar to O’Meara’s suggestion.

Source: Dublin People. Photo: Felix Kiss / Pexels.