TWITTER, NOW KNOWN as X, did not engage with gardaí when contacted to take down “vile” posts in the wake of the Dublin riot last week, the Minister for Justice said.
Speaking in the Dáil today Minister Helen McEntee said other social media companies did engage with the gardaí.
“I spoke to a detective in Pearse Street on Saturday, who was actively engaged with the social media companies throughout Thursday.
“[She] was actively engaged with TikTok, actively engaged with Meta – So Instagram and Facebook – was actively engaged with Twitter, or X. She said very clearly that social media companies,in particular Tik Tok and Meta, they were responding, they were engaging with gardaí and they were taking down these vile posts as they came up.
“X were not, they didn’t engage. They did not fulfill their own community standards,” the Minister said.
She said this is why the Government are implementing a system whereby these social media companies will no longer get to self-monitor.
“That’s why Coimisiún na Meán has been established to make sure that these companies are held responsible because while some were responsible, others were not.
“So let me reassure you, gardaí were seized of this. They were engaging. They were engaging directly with the social media companies,” she said.
On Thursday last week, chaos erupted on the streets of Dublin when three children and their carer were stabbed on Parnell Square East with a riot ensuing.
It was reported yesterday that gardaí are now examining social media posts as they attempt to trace some of those involved in the events.
It is understood that any violence and looting of shops in the city centre is only part of the investigation, with alleged incitement of the crowds which made their way towards the area also forming part of enquiries.
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