Tensions are brewing within the Government over the slow pace of progress on plans to set age limits for social media access.
The departments of Communications and Public Expenditure are at odds over a planned pilot scheme for a digital wallet, which would be used to verify the age and identity of those using the system.
Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers is moving forward with the original plan to use the digital wallet to allow people to quickly and easily store Government documents on their phones.
However, Minister for Communications Patrick O’Donovan’s department wants the same wallet to be used to set age limits for social network access as part of the Coalition’s commitment to online child safety.
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On Friday Chambers will announce a public consultation and testing of a digital wallet phone application, which Ireland is required – under EU regulations – to have in place for public services by the end of this year.
According to the Government, the online ID system will make it easier and more efficient to apply for social housing, a marriage certificate or social welfare payments.
The wallet will include a digital version of a person’s birth certificate, driving licence and other official documents. Its use will not be compulsory for any State service.
While departments will be allowed to suggest additional uses for the wallet, there are no plans to set up a pilot scheme to test the ability of the app to set age limits for social media.
The digital wallet does have the capability to send a signal to a website to verify that a person is over a certain age, without needing to share personal details such as a date of birth with a social network.
[ Social media firms yet to sign up to age-verification pilotOpens in new window ]
As of now, none of the social networks based in Ireland has agreed to participate in any pilot to use the wallet for age verification. The Department of Communications is understood to believe this is because platforms do not want to commit to an unknown process.
A spokesman for the Department of Communications said: “This Department and the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) are continuing to engage with platforms regarding support for the pilot, which is being developed and led by OGCIO.”
The digital wallet – which will have to be made available to private services by the end of next year – was designed and built as part of an EU drive to digitise more public services.
Late last year O’Donovan and Tánaiste Simon Harris began discussing its potential to set robust online age limits as more countries started to consider limiting children’s access to social media.
Despite the issue being discussed at Cabinet meetings at least three times over the last nine months, there have been no proposals brought forward to legislate for social media age limits.
Officials in the Department of Public Expenditure believe the app could be used to set age limits for social media, but it is understood they also believe it is up to the Department of Communications to bring forward such legislation first.
The Department of Communications, however, is understood to believe that no legislation would be required for a pilot scheme, which would need only the consent of participants.
A pilot scheme to test the wallet’s capability and functions will only include people aged 16 and over.
