Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 June 2026
542. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if he or officials from his Department have met with representatives of a company (details supplied) where discussions included the suppression of hate speech, disinformation or misinformation during the period 2022 to date; if so, the number of such meetings that were held both virtually and in-person; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44932/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI was appointed Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport on 23 January 2025 and have not met Google regarding the suppression of hate speech, misinformation or disinformation since my appointment.
On 16 June 2025, I met representatives of platforms, including Google, in-person to discuss online safety and in particular, protecting children online through age verification. Officials in my Department continue to engage with platforms, including Google, in-person and online, in relation to online safety matters.
As part of the process of developing the National Counter Disinformation Strategy, on 29 November 2023, my Department arranged an in-person consultation event. Representatives of Google attended this event along with around 80 other stakeholders. The Strategy was published in April 2025 and information on the development process and progress on implementation is available on the Strategy webpage.
