Dear Sir,
I am writing to emphasise the concerns raised by Nick Armstrong on August 8th. His letter outlines the global damage being caused by unrestricted social media platforms and suggests a potential resolution: denying the ‘platform’ defence frequently used by social media firms and instead formally classifying them as publishers under the law.
This change would make these platforms subject to existing defamation, privacy and regulatory oversight legislation. The scope of these corporations, however, often extends beyond the reach of national governments, given their economic impact and substantial employment provisions; something which is especially notable in Ireland.
Our only plausible approach to regulating these firms appears to be through the collective strength of the European Union. It is crucial that we identify methods of accelerating this issue within our national government and among our local and European representatives.
While it appears they understand this important issue, the pace of progress on this simple reclassification is unsettlingly sluggish.
Yours faithfully,
John Griffin,
Kells,
Co Meath.