Government accused of ‘see no evil, hear no evil’ approach to X

Ireland is not “kicking the can” to Europe to investigate X, the Taoiseach insisted in a heated exchange with an opposition TD.

During Leaders’ Questions in the Dail on Wednesday, People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy said X had been turned into a “machine for the mass production of child sexual abuse imagery and image-based sexual abuse of women”.

He said that while image-based sexual abuse – including through the use of deepfakes – was made criminal offence six years ago, the Government’s approach to big tech appears to be “see no evil, hear no evil”.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin accused the opposition TD of “rephrensible” remarks and acting with “moral superiority”.

The European Commission is investigating the social media company over reports that child sexual abuse material and non-consensual intimate images of adults were generated through the Grok artificial intelligence (AI) tool and disseminated on the platform.

Ireland’s media regulator, Coimisiun na Mean, is collaborating with the Commission’s inquiry under the Digital Service Act but has chosen not to open its own investigation into the platform under the Online Safety Code.

Mr Murphy said he had revealed in an Oireachtas committee last week that the ability to create images of people with reduced clothing was still available on X in Ireland through a VPN.

Citing the raiding of X offices in Paris by French prosecutors, he asked if there was any criminal investigation into the company in Ireland.

Mr Martin accused Mr Murphy of a “very dishonest” and “reprehensible” portrayal of the Government’s position in respect to X.

He said gardai had said they were investigating 200 complaints of material indicative of child sexual abuse material.

The Taoiseach said the European Commission was responsible for very large platforms, including X, and it was a “dishonest betrayal of the reality” to say the Government was kicking the can to Brussels.

In reply, Mr Murphy said: “I’m not saying you condone the production of sexual abuse material.

“I’m saying you don’t want to do anything about it because you don’t want to annoy or harm your relationship with big tech – and the big tech investment here is more important to you than standing up to these people.”

Mr Martin said it was a “reprehensible assertion” that the Government would prioritise big tech over tackling child sexual abuse material.

He said: “How dare you? Who the hell do you think you are? That you have some moral superiority over everybody else?

“You don’t have moral superior superiority over anybody else in this house. Everybody in this house is at one in terms of going after anybody who would generate and disseminate child abuse material.”

Mr Murphy asked if the investigations were into X rather than its users.

He said Ireland could take criminal action X under the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act 1998 and the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Relate Offences Act 2020.

“We don’t have to wait for the European Commission. We can take criminal action, as is happening in France.”

Mr Martin said gardai were “pursuing all aspects” of that legislation “to make sure there’s absolutely full accountability”.