Social media firms have not yet signed up to an age-verification pilot seen as a key part of Government plans to curtail access for the under-16s to the online platforms.
The Government has said the pilot scheme would be launched in the early part of this year, with a unit of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) developing an age-verification tool as part of a wider “digital wallet” app.
A DPER spokesman said on Friday there was “no firm agreement” with any social media firm to be part of the pilot, although several had “expressed an interest” in supporting it.
Deploying the tool on a social media site would likely need the co-operation of the firms involved.
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Amid growing pressure over the Government’s reforms in the area, the lack of agreement from the firms so far is likely to raise questions about the policy’s effectiveness.
[ New digital and AI strategy to confirm plans for under-16s social media ban ]
A spokesman for the Department of Communications said it was engaging with platforms.
“While there is interest in supporting the initiative, at this stage no formal commitments have been made,” he said.
Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers is expected to be briefed by the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer on Tuesday, including a recommendation on the launch of the pilot.
Chambers and Minister for Communications Patrick O’Donovan are also expected to hold talks.
Some Government figures believe significant work remains on the pilot, but that it will be done “hopefully before summer”. Others believe a launch around April is possible.
The Department of Communications is said to be anxious to receive an update on the pilot, with one source saying a final plan had not been provided to O’Donovan.
There is said to be frustration within DPER over political promises being made on the pilot and whether it can be delivered from a technical perspective in what one source described as a “realistic time frame”.
The DPER spokesman said it had developed a digital infrastructure for the wallet “which could be used as part of an age verification solution”. He said its use for age-verification purposes “will be a policy decision for Government”.
It said it had been in discussion with other departments about potential uses of the wallet, saying that decisions on how it was used in testing would be a matter for DPER.
A Government decision would be required on the potential use of the wallet for age verification, the department said.
It comes as Micheál Martin demanded clarity from senior officials and ministers on the progress of Government plans to restrict social media access for under 16s.
The Taoiseach has requested a paper be prepared after fractious exchanges at this week’s Cabinet meeting were prompted by inaccurate reports that the Government would legislate for a ban – reports which had been prompted by briefings from within Government.
There was confusion this week across Government about the pace and progress of the restrictions, which has been repeatedly signalled by ministers including Tánaiste Simon Harris, the Fine Gael leader.
Reports before the weekly Cabinet meeting suggested the Government would decide to bring forward legislation for a ban. But there was no such decision this week.
Instead the Government resolved to work with other European Union countries on possible EU-wide restrictions and push on with plans for the pilot project. Several Government sources conceded there had been widespread anger on Wednesday.
Some Fine Gaelers privately accused Fianna Fáil of being too cautious on the issue and said the party would pursue its goal of a social media ban either through the EU or the domestic route.
