Protecting children from harmful content on the internet is more important than free speech, Patrick O’Donovan has argued. 

The Fine Gael Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport is due to bring a memo to Cabinet, which will set out how a digital wallet will prevent children under 16 from accessing social media. 

On The Pat Kenny Show, Minister O’Donovan said a trial of the technology would be ready in a matter of months. 

“They interrogate this wallet when a child attempts to go on social media,” he explained. 

“The social media platform interrogates this wallet and says, ‘Oh, it's under 16. They can't get on.’ 

“Reject it. So, they'll have an obligation to check to make sure that the person is age appropriate.”

Children texting on their phones in the back seat. Picture by: Tetra Images / Alamy Stock Photo.

To begin with, the wallet will be strictly voluntary. However, the Attorney General is currently advising the Government on how to make a compulsory age verification system compatible with EU law. 

“It's built by the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer,” Minister O’Donovan added.  

“But in order to roll it out and to use it, we will require legislation and so we won't require legislation to do a pilot on a voluntary basis. 

“The Office of the Government Chief Information Officer is going to take a couple of thousand people… into being part of a survey where we will trial the use of the wallet versus social media access. 

“And in the period of time while the trial is going on, we'll also be developing legislation.” 

A child looks at a phone. Picture by: Westend61 GmbH / Alamy Stock Photo.

Concerns have been raised about the consequences of the Government storing people’s data; however, Minister O’Donovan argued that children’s safety is his top priority. 

“In a hierarchy of rights, the right of a child to be protected and to have their innocence protected trumps any other right - including that of freedom of speech,” he said. 

“And we need to get to a situation where children are protected in a proper sphere.” 

Ireland is due to take on the EU Presidency in the second half of next year. 

It is, Minister O’Donovan said, his hope that member states will agree on a common approach to child safeguarding. 

“Obviously, what I would prefer to see is a single European approach and I want to use our presidency to create a single European approach in that six months,” he said.

“Some countries don't agree with Ireland; some countries believe live and let live and that includes if children are exposed to inappropriate behaviour, - well, that's a parental matter. 

“I don't believe that should be the case.”

Main image: Minister Patrick O'Donovan. Picture by: Leah Farrell / RollingNews.ie.