If we can't regulate social media, can we regulate anything?
In a recent opinion piece for the Irish Examiner, FuJo Institute co-director Dr Eileen Culloty argues that social media platforms have successfully framed harmful recommendation algorithms as an unavoidable feature of modern technology, when in reality they are deliberate design choices.
These recommendation systems are built to maximise engagement, often by amplifying content that provokes fear, outrage, and strong emotional reactions. Despite widespread public support for stronger protections, an EU court ruling, and political consensus in Ireland around limiting these features, meaningful change has yet to materialise.
Dr Culloty contends that the challenge is not a lack of policy solutions, but a lack of political will. She examines how major technology companies have used their economic power and influence to resist regulation, while promoting narratives that place responsibility on individual users rather than platform design.
The article also explores Ireland's role as a key European regulatory hub for large technology firms and asks what it means for democracy when governments appear unable to address well-documented harms in digital environments.
Read the full article in the Irish Examiner: https://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/commentanalysis/arid-41871808.html
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