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A PRIVATE MEETING with Meta was held in Leinster House today after the tech giant said it would only appear before the Oireachtas Media Committee if the meeting was not held in public session.
The meeting centred around moderation policies the company applies to those in public life.
When The Journal asked the committee chairperson if members were kowtowing to Meta for allowing the meeting to be held in private, Niamh Smyth explained their reasoning.
She said that during the last engagement the committee had with the company, Meta said it had a higher threshold for any action to be taken in relation to content about people in the public eye.
“I think that goes beyond politicians, and we asked why, and they wouldn’t go into it, they said not in a public setting,” she said.
“We were more than anxious to hear about what their reasons are for that, so that is why we agreed to a private setting,” said Smyth.
It is understood committee members deliberated on the matter and whether it should bend to such a request, deciding that it was better to proceed with the meeting rather than not hold the meeting at all.
It is not the first time that tech companies have refused invitations from the media committee, with Meta, TikTok and X all refusing to attend when invited last year, much to the unhappiness of TDs.
Last year, Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty said it was unacceptable that tech giants were refusing to attend stating that they had “a responsibility to come before the committee”.
The committee had previously engaged with representatives from Meta on the topic of online safety, online disinformation and media literacy.
During the meeting today it is understood there was a discussion on Meta’s rationale for having a lower level of protection for public figures.
TDs and senators raised questions about the community standards and, in particular, whether standards are being enforced.
The committee also explored the obligations of social media companies under the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act, as well as the Digital Services Act.
Meta was asked about the role the company plays in combating polarisation and disinformation, along with the impact of disinformation, deep fakes and online abuse on upcoming elections and referenda.
There was also a focus on the use of AI for content moderation.
Meta outlined that the bullying and harassment provision of its content policy standards makes a distinction between public figures and private individuals in order to facilitate discussion, including critical commentary of people who are featured in the news or who have a large public audience.
The tech company outlined how it believes users are protected from certain behaviours such as calls for self injury and suicide.
Meta’s standards include rules against content sexualising a public figure, it explained, saying it removes such content once the company receives confirmation from the public figure in question that they object to its publication.
Meta added that it has appointed an oversight board to help resolve difficult questions around freedom of expression.
Fianna Fáil Senator Malcolm Byrne told The Journal that it was a “useful and productive engagement. It certainly helps in our overall consideration of these issues”.
The committee is due to meet Twitter / X on the same issues in February. It is understood this meeting will also be held in private.
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Christ that was difficult to read, the journalistic equivalent of constipation. Took about 5 solid pushes to get to the end of a load of shite which recommends basically giving up your potentially lucrative position in finance or IT to take up a role of fitness instructor.
7. Retire early
Moving job beats taking the easy way out and emigrating.
What’s wrong with being a fitness instructor?
@ mr McShite..’to give up a lucrative appointment ‘ I fear you missed the whole point of the article…and I wish you all the lucrative success you deserve (with $uck all happiness ) ….M@ron!!!
What’s really gonna happen is that your dreams are challenged very early in life, aspirations to change the world are wiped out as society is gonna try and convince you that you’re only too lucky to have a job so you’re gonna bullsh@t your way into an organisation, tell them you can turn things to gold and lose yourself in the process! Once your in the door your gonna be one of two people – one that stomps on people’s heads to get to the top of that ladder and would throw their mother under a bus to get advancement and live out your days constantly striving for that carrot, convincing yourself (and others) that you’ve made it. or 2 – be the guy who’s a stepping stone for number 1. you’ll retire at 60 ( if you aren’t canned before that) and live out your golden years in silent regret as to why you didn’t change careers sooner! Don’t let youth be wasted on the young. Follow your dreams kids. If Paul Murphy can be TD, you can be an astronaut!!!
Paul Murphy is an Astronaut Or a spacecadet?
Paul Murphy is a better td than most. At least he stands for something which can’t be said for many others who just roll over.
I think that parents have a duty to encourage their children to follow their dreams. Admittedly, some children are more focussed than others, but i believe everyone can find their passion in life if they believe they have the freedom and support to seek it. Parents are best usually placed to give this.
A friend of mine’s father was a man of science and industry, studying maths and physics and later entering the oil industry. My friend decided to follow his dream and get into film. Admittedly, his family were in a position to support him financially through film school, but they also supported him emotionally. I know that his father often questioned the career choice, but the look on his face seeing his son addressing the audience after the premiere screening of his debut feature film in the London Film Festival spoke volumes. Pure pride.
Hmmm… I followed some of these steps… I wanted to be a make up artist so I trained and gif qualified, I got a mentor and did a lot of free work. But in the end I just want good enough. I know I’m not supposed to say that but it’s true. I’m not naturally artistic. I’m creative to a certain extent but I can’t draw a straight line so what I imagine in my head turns out a big mess . Now the training and work experience and practice were great and I loved the work I did with a passion but in an industry flooded with other make up artists and feck all work I had to look at it realistically. There is better artists out there . They have natural gifts and talents and I just can’t compete with my mediocre skills. Some might say I just gave up but I think I’m just looking at it realistically. So now I’m 33 and don’t know what to do ‘when I grow up’.
Become a writer. You have a flowing style and nice, self-deprecating wit. And apparently every 1000 words is equivalent to a picture anyway so you can live your dream through the back door :-)
That hallway could do with a lightbulb.
The girl in the pic has a strange cock.tus
How does one become a lazy gigolo?
Vote FG.
Do nothing and you’ll get screwed.
hhmm yeah no! out of all the people i know 1 dows that they love… 1! I know another whos killing themselves to break into what they love and are failing! Frankly i think the emphasis on career etc is too much… I think people should work whatever theu can and aim to be happier in life in general and focus on being good ppl. Articles like this fuel the world we live in now… ppl in a rush to they skip lunch, or cause crashes rushing to work, spend their lives in their office. I work, i stay where I am not because I love it, not because Im passionate about it… i stay because 1 i work with good ppl, 2 its money and 3 I get a good amount of time off to focus on the important things. A job is a job if you can do what you love brilliant Im happy for you… but dont waste your life chasing it… get a job to give you money and start living out of work.
“In the words of Wayne Gretzky, you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take” – Rockfrocks, 2015
* not plagiarism
Utter utter rubbish…sadly people pay to hear the kind of rubbish that’s in that article. ….I’m passionate about Salsa dancing….trust me I’ll never earn money at it…..In fact I’m spending alot of my hard earned money on it…..such utter mis guided claptrap.
have to agree. keep your passion and your work separate, lest disappointments in work impact on your happiness. I’ve seen that alot. that doesn’t mean don’t enjoy your job but don’t hang your happiness it.
Just ask Alan Watts – https://youtu.be/5QnZVZzosw8 – What if money didn’t exist. Makes you really think.
Wrong question Alan. This is “what if money were no object?” ie you have sufficient surplus to do what you want. The last serious attempt at making money not exist was led by Pol Pot in Cambodia in the 1970s. That did not have a happy ending (gross understatement).
Making money DOES MATTER….
6. Make sure to get to Electric Picnic!!!
Turning a passion into a career can still have the same effect. You still will have to do work you don’t necessarily want to do in order for income to pay the bills
have your say