The Taoiseach has vowed to hit social media companies “where it hurts” if they do not comply with Ireland’s online safety regulations.

Simon Harris promised that the ability to impose substantial fines, running into tens of millions of euros, will be in place by the end of the year.

This follows a threat made against the Taoiseach and his family on Instagram over the weekend, which he branded as “not acceptable” in a statement yesterday.

“There can be no hiding place for anyone seeking to threaten, attack, or harm people, or to incite others to do so,” he warned.

Social media fines

Speaking today, Harris said social media companies must comply with the online safety code set out by Coimisiún na Meán.

“If you don't comply with that, we're going to hit you where it hurts with very, very, very significant fines that can run to tens of millions of euros,” he said.

“In addition to that, we need to make sure through that code that individuals within those companies can be held to account, just like a newspaper editor would be if something went wrong in terms of being on the right or wrong side of the law in a publication.

“That will be in place by the end of the year, and I think that's a really important space.”

Elon Musk is seen in this March 2022 file photo from the Netflix documentary 'Return to Space'. Picture by: TCD/Prod.DB / Alamy Stock Photo

He warned that Ireland will not back down on the need for online safety.

“If anybody in any social media company is dining out on or thinking that somehow or other Ireland won't be robust in relation to this, they're about to find out how extraordinarily wrong they just are,” he said.

“It’s utterly unacceptable that any platform, whether digital, online, or print, would allow a threat towards anybody or let it remain for a significant period of time.

“One of the concerns that people right across the country have is the speed at which information gets shared online.”

'Best of luck to him'

The Taoiseach said he does not care if social media company owners disagree with the regulations.

“I have a very clear view on it and I don’t care what their name is; it might be Elon [Musk], it might not be,” he said.

“Best of luck to him - Elon Musk is a citizen of wherever out in the world and that’s fine.

“My concern isn’t Elon Musk or Mark Zuckerberg or whoever.

“My concern is the protection, safety, and well-being of people in this country, of the European Union, which we’re a member of, and the young people whose parents have pangs of anxiety about the impact social media has on their child’s well-being.”