Facebook ‘inaction’ before Oireachtas
Noel Malone, principal of Coláiste Chiaráin in Croom, said he was determined not to take “lying down” the manner in which Facebook dealt with the matter.
Accusing Facebook of “inaction” and “trying to cover their tracks”, Mr Malone said it was a serious matter that could pose a threat to people’s lives.
Mr Malone confirmed that a number of “victims in the school”, and others, are receiving counselling over the material posted to Facebook that led to the suspensions. While it was reported that one of the people targeted was a member of the teaching staff, Mr Malone would only say the victims were in the school community.
The students were suspended for two days. Mr Malone said it was accepted no malice was intended by the students, who “had made a wrong decision”.
However, he has accused Facebook of inaction when he requested it to remove the offending material.
Mr Malone said he was now determined to follow the matter through with a submission to the Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications.
“I have been invited by Patrick O’Donovan TD to make a submission,” said Mr Malone. “I want Facebook and other social media to put in place a fast-track system whereby schools with an issue can have a request fast-tracked and the matter dealt with without undue delay.
“I am not going to let this lie down. I am not trying to act big brother but I want to protect young people.
“I don’t want to hear of a tragedy in six months’ time somewhere and have people ask why something was not done. Facebook now seem to be trying to cover their tracks, saying they took action when we brought this matter to their attention and asked to have it removed.
“They did not act on the information we put before them once the school became aware of the Facebook posting and our concerns.
“They are being very disingenuous... They did not take it down when we asked them. It is quite clear the media attention has got them scurrying now.”
Mr Malone rejected Facebook’s assertion it did not allow appeals to its decisions as its “systems would get clogged”. “Surely, the very real potential threat to a person’s life is reason enough,” he said.
Fianna Fáil TD Niall Collins has been in contact with Facebook over the incident. Simon Milner of Facebook told him that because the Facebook account in question was set up using a false name, and had since been closed, it could not be examined further.
