Alan Kelly urges social media giant to ‘reconsider’
TikTok, Google, Meta and X are requested to attend a meeting with government
North Tipperary Labour TD and Chair of the Oireachtas committee on media, Deputy Alan Kelly, has responded to Chinese social media giant TikTok's decision to reject an invite to the committee to discuss the posting of illegal criminal videos by saying the platform, Google, Meta and X must now attend.
Deputy Kelly wrote to TikTok raising significant concerns over the posting of videos of people driving the wrong way down motorways, and other illegal activity, on the platform.
TikTok declined the invite, saying it feels it cannot attend due to the ongoing Garda investigation into the crash and a Coimisiún na Meán examination of social media content relating to the incident.
The social media giant who have offices in Dublin also said it did not feel it would be appropriate for it to be the only platform to attend a media committee meeting on the issue, but added it would be happy to consider a private meeting.
In response, Deputy Kelly wrote back to TikTok to voice his disappointment at the decision and issued another invitation to attend a meeting.
The invitation follows TikTok’s confirmation that it is closely monitoring content related to the deaths of five teenage boys in a head-on collision on the M9 motorway.
The Committee is seeking clarity on how TikTok identifies and removes content that glorifies irresponsible or illegal activity, particularly where such content could encourage behaviour that places people in danger.
Deputy Kelly said:
“The deaths of five young people on the M9 was an appalling tragedy. My thoughts are with their families, friends and communities, as well as those injured and the emergency services who responded to the scene.
“In the aftermath of this tragedy, serious questions have arisen about the circulation of social media content which appears to glorify dangerous and illegal behaviour on our roads.
“TikTok has said it is closely monitoring content related to this incident. As Chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport, I have invited TikTok to come before the Committee so that we can understand precisely what steps it takes when this type of content appears on its platform.
“We need to know how quickly TikTok can identify and remove videos that glorify reckless or illegal behaviour, how it prevents harmful content from being amplified to wider audiences and what safeguards it has in place, particularly for younger users.
“I expect TikTok to engage fully with the Committee and set out the concrete measures it is taking to tackle content that glorifies dangerous and illegal activity. We need meaningful action from social media platforms to ensure harmful content is not amplified or normalised. Representatives from X, Google and Meta have been invited to attend before the committee."