Oireachtas Joint Committee on Children and Equality Opening Statement by the Ombudsman for Children’s Office

Oireachtas Joint Committee on Children and Equality

Opening Statement by the Ombudsman for Children’s Office

Thursday, 23rd April, 2026

Thank you to the Chairperson and the Committee for inviting the Ombudsman for Children’s Office here today to discuss the topic: technology, social media and children, with a focus on the safety and wellbeing of children online. We are here today on behalf of the OCO Youth Advisory Panel. Our Youth Advisory Panel or YAP, is made up of young people, aged 13 to 17, from all parts of Ireland and our role is to make sure that children’s voices are at the heart of the OCO’s work to promote and protect children’s rights.

Over the past twelve months, children’s rights in the online world have been a major focus of the YAP’s work. Our 2025 reports, “One Size Does Not Fit All” and “AI and Us”, highlighted the YAP’s views on the impact of smartphone bans and AI on children’s rights. In our view, the online world offers lots of potential for children to enjoy their rights. However, for that to happen, more must be done by those in power to ensure that it is a safe and inclusive space for every child and young person.

For many YAP members, the main benefit of the online world and social media is its power to connect young people and to allow them to express themselves freely. Article 15 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) guarantees our right to form connections and engage with other young people who share our passions and interests. Today, this right is just as relevant for young people online as it is offline. In fact, due to the shortage of free, accessible physical spaces where teenagers can socialise, be creative and explore their interests outside of school hours, the online world has filled a gap. For many, it is a space of connection and exploration, particularly for more marginalised young people.

However, young people want action taken so that they feel safe in the online world. One area that we particularly wish to bring to the Committee’s attention is the harmful impact of misinformation. Regular exposure to misinformation online violates our right under the UNCRC to receive information that supports our development and wellbeing. While the internet and social media give

us immediate access to a vast source of knowledge and learning, children and young people are too easily targeted with misleading or inaccurate information. YAP members have expressed particular concern about misinformation around healthcare, and dieting advice, harmful lifestyle trends, and far-right content that tries to spread negative attitudes towards migrants. This kind of material often tries to polarise young people and stir up feelings of anger, which can be damaging for their health and wellbeing. In an OCO survey published last year on extremism and discrimination, 63% of young people said they came across views they would consider extreme online, compared to just 6% in real life. This can lead to young people forming discriminatory attitudes, and possibly placing themselves and others’ rights at risk.

Furthermore, We have serious concerns about how algorithms use our personal data to target us with content based on our online activity, potentially violating our right to privacy. wWe also believe that the deliberate use of algorithms to promote harmful material to young people undermines our right to the highest possible standard of health and our right to privacy. Often, these systems are specifically designed to target young people with material that will keep them engaged for as long as possible. As you will be aware, a recent court case in the US found that two tech giants were liable for designing addictive platforms. Spending excessive time on social media, especially when engaging with harmful content, can have a damaging impact on young people’s mental health and potentially lead to addictive behaviours, undermining our right to health.

As we sit here today, several countries are exploring the possibility of banning young people from social media as a way of addressing some of the harm it causes. However, we do not believe that bans offer a meaningful solution. They simply put the onus on teenagers to stay off social media, rather than making social media channels safer in the first place. In our view, they are a quick fix for decision-makers and fail to address many of the underlying issues. Bans deny young people access to the benefits of the online world and we feel that, in practice, they would be difficult to enforce given how ineffective existing age-verification technology can be.

Instead, we want more emphasis on digital literacy within the school curriculum so that all young people can develop healthy habits and responsible behaviours online. We need the skills to identify misleading or inaccurate content. But it is not just young people who need this education: parents, guardians, and teachers play a vital role in supporting us to navigate the online world safely and responsibly. As such, they too must feel confident that they have the knowledge to offer effective guidance.

However, education is only one piece of the puzzle: social media companies themselves must play their part and so must the governments that regulate them. Like any other business, social media companies have a fundamental duty to make sure that the young people using their products are kept safe. Companies must also guarantee that they will prioritise young people’s privacy, safety and well-being when designing products that they can freely access. As the Online Health Taskforce has recommended, if toys are required to have a CE mark to make sure they’re safe for children, why shouldn’t social media sites also have to prove they are up to standard? As one online safety expert has commented, Young people don’t want to encounter dangerous or upsetting material online. But if they do, all social media platforms should have visible, easy-to-use, and effective ways for young people to report it. We also need to feel confident that, when we do report harmful content or misinformation, it will be quickly removed. There should be strong legal requirements on companies to tackle the use of harmful algorithms and to prevent children encountering misinformation and extremist content via their platforms. More importantly, however, the government must make sure that companies genuinely comply with these requirements and, if they don’t, they face serious sanctions.

The online world has a direct impact on many of our rights as young people, both positively and negatively. So, when decisions are being made that will affect this part of our lives, it is only fair that we are listened to and that our views are considered. We would like to thank the Committee again for this opportunity to speak to you today and look forward to discussing this topic furthe

• 23 Aibreán 2026
• Cineál: Ráiteas