A Social Democrats TD has suggested that Ireland take the "radical" step of nationalising online platforms like a utility.
Sinéad Gibney told the Oireachtas Media Committee she was aware it was a radical idea, but said it was worth thinking about, considering the harm being done to children.
"I would think that we're at a stage, where technology is so integral in society that we need to think of the nationalisation of this as a utility."
She described age verification as "a plaster on a gaping wound," saying she was not trashing it, but that she had major concerns with.
Members of the Children’s Rights Alliance and Cybersafe Kids have been telling the committee that online platforms are regulated on the basis of self-assessment under the current legislation.
Alex Cooney, CEO of Cybersafe Kids, said large internet companies like Meta should be independently assessed instead.
She suggested something like the Film Classification Office, which could independently suggest age limits on platforms, depending on how harmful they might be for children.
Ms Cooney gave the example of AI girlfriend apps, which she described as "highly inappropriate" for children.
She said a recent survey of these apps found out of 21 such apps, none had age verification.
She said, "we do need to look at really urgent measures to protect children from some of this more harmful content".
Asked by Joanna Byrne of Sinn Féin if they supported a ban on social media for children, Noeline Blackwell from the Children’s Rights Alliance said that it was problematic.
Ms Blackwell said that from the point of view of a child "there’s real problems with saying ban children from the world in which they live".
She said it would ban them from education, inclusion, participation, all those things.
"And then what do you ban? Do you ban this company or that company...where do you go if you’re banned. Do they go to less regulated companies if they can’t access the world in which they live?"
She pointed to the forthcoming ban in Australia and what happens to those children aged 16 once they are suddenly allowed onto platforms.
"It’s not the companies we should be banning; it’s the functions."
Ms Blackwell said that the "nasty functions" should be banned.
"How do we not censor children rather than put sufficient pressure on the tech companies?"
On age-verification, Ms Blackwell said one barrier to finding solutions was the fact that platforms are regulated differently across the EU.
But she said that she believed that platforms could "fix this in a week".
