Richard Hogan: We have to legislate to stop powerful tech giants from profiting from our kids

Richard Hogan. Picture: Moya Nolan

Minister for Education Norma Foley’s recent unproductive meeting with the heads of tech companies such as Meta, Google, Microsoft, TikTok etc illuminates just how powerful these tech giants actually are and how they are currently operating outside any real fear of legislative power on the part of the Government.

The Minister was hoping these companies would support the principle of parents not buying smartphones for their children while in primary school.

I applaud Norma Foley for bringing attention to this issue, because anyone working in schools knows the devastating impact smartphones are having on the life of children.

Let’s be honest, they are the destroyer of worlds. The dam has burst, there is no doubt about that - but we need someone to stand up and take responsibility for protecting our children from the harmful aspects of smartphones.

The Minister stated that, this support “wasn’t forthcoming at this point in time, but they gave a commitment to engage again on this matter”.

I’d stick a smiley face emoji in there, if I knew how to do it! It would be laughable, if it wasn’t so serious.

Let’s just put it into perspective; our government is currently “asking” companies, who have been caught mining children’s data, not removing underage children from their platforms (which is against the law), feeding children damaging material, designing applications such as infinite scrolling to be addictive, to have a conscience!

These industry leaders and decision makers must have some laugh, clinking their jade citrus mint teas off each other before they have to go in a tick a few boxes and keep those politicians happy.

Meta say, very proudly, they have employed 40 thousand moderators to check online content. 40 thousand?

Sounds decent enough when you say it like that, but Meta have over 3 billion users.

Now, let’s do the maths - that is one person for every 75 thousand users.

It’s almost akin to having one Garda in Croke Park trying to control everyone in that stadium at a Taylor Swift concert. Impossible.

Like keeping the tide out with a spoon type of vibe and that’s if their figure of 40 thousand moderators can be believed, I’d imagine that figure is grossly exaggerated.

But either way, it is still not enough.

The question I’d like to ask is, why are we so weak when it comes to big tech? 

Maybe I’m missing something. Maybe I’m naïve. I understand they generate huge revenue for the Government.

But I also understand they generate extraordinary revenue from being in our State. The tax implications, alone, save these companies exorbitant amounts of money. And it’s just all about money.

So, why are we fearful or so reticent to bring in legislation to protect our children from harmful material?

It’s like asking Benson & Hedges to support the principal that children shouldn’t smoke. It’s crazy to me. Of course society needed legislation to force cigarette companies not to sell their harmful products to our children.

Well, I know that some children smoke, but you’d have to look at the statistics and see how smoking
habits changed over the years since legislation was brought in.

Legislation matters and impacts on behaviour. In this country you get fined for not wearing a seatbelt, but a child consuming hardcore explicit material is fine! No one is responsible for that. When are we going to wake up to what is happening to children and families all over this country?

When are we all going to say, enough is enough! How many more terrible stories do we have to hear in the news, before we start to fight back and protect our children.

Political will comes from the public will for change. They have to hear our voice. We have never needed our Government more than at this moment in time.

I fundamentally believe in our Government. I believe there are good people in there who want to
affect change and protect children. Last week, I went to Leinster House and spoke with Senator Shane Cassells. I outlined my experience working with teenagers and families and explained the devastating impact early access to hardcore extreme material has on a developing brain.

Senator Cassells echoed my sentiments and agreed that there needs to be some robust legislation in place to protect children. It just baffles me that we are currently without any.

Our Government seems to be frightened of big tech. There is a sense they are beyond the law currently. And why is that?

I don’t want to be cynical, but when something doesn’t make sense, it is generally as simple as money! Is someone, somewhere preventing legislative laws from protecting our children? These companies are trading in our children’s attention and gaze. That’s the simple business model -  more eyes, more revenue.

Legislative laws preventing children from consuming platforms, means less revenue generated. It’s that simple. And the solution is simple too. Or it’s as complicated as long as you want to delay protecting children. We have to act now.