New €1m campaign and taskforce launched to combat social media harm to young people

New online taskforce and €1m campaign set up to tackle social media damage to young people

The taskforce will develop a public health response to the negative impact of social media on children and young people and it can make a series of recommendations including tighter regulation and tougher laws.

A €1m public education campaign aimed at giving more information to young people on how to manage social media will also be launched.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said the online taskforce, chaired by children’s rights advocate Jillian van Turnhout, will deliver an interim report in six months and a full set of proposals in September 2025.

He said: “I firmly believe that the harms to young people as a result of online interactions constitute a public health crisis. While I recognise that technology and social media can have many benefits, we need to ensure that robust mechanisms are put in place that protect young people.

“We cannot be complacent in our response, which…