Réada Cronin

Overall sentiment: 0.02
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Mo bhuíochas leis na Teachtaí Devine agus Carthy as ucht an Bhille seo a thabhairt os comhair na Dála. Cuirim fáilte roimh na daoine atá sa Ghailearaí. There is an urgent need to update Coco's Law. Coco's Law was and still is an important piece of legislation that rightly prosecutes those who share intimate images online or otherwise. Technology moves very quickly. The recent explosion of deep fake sexual images being created on social media platforms, such as X, has shocked many. Elsewhere in Europe, they have been quick to move. Just last week, French prosecutors raided the offices of X as part of their investigation into allegations of spreading child sexual abuse images. In England, the data privacy regulator has opened formal investigations into X's chatbot. We must keep pace. I am quite flabbergasted after the Minister's speech. I am glad there are so many women in my party. Despite his protestations, I have not heard about the gardaí knocking anybody's door down for producing these images. The nonchalant way he was going on there was absolutely disgraceful. Our Bill must amend Coco's Law to criminalise non-consensual intimate images and videos made through the use of AI. It must also increase the maximum penalties of those convicted. It will address the grey area of current legislation. However, this is only one part of the response. Holding the social media companies to account is the other part. This is something that this Government should have done long ago. It should certainly have done this since Christmas. The full extent of the law must be brought to bear on online platforms and service providers that try to flout the rules. The fines must be imposed and, crucially, recovered in full. As noted by the Teachta who was sitting beside me earlier, the Government has done nothing to ensure that these fines are paid. It has stood idly by in respect of this matter. We should be following the example of the French and ensuring that social media companies are fully held to account. The Government has been sitting on its hands for long enough. We need swift and decisive action to criminalise the distribution of AI images, increase maximum penalties upon conviction and ensure social media companies are held accountable for their complicity in this vile crime against women and children.

Sentiment score: 0.02