McGrath Commits to Strengthening Online Safeguards for Minors

The commissioner-designate of Ireland, Michael McGrath commits to strengthening online safeguards for the minor. To protect minors from online harms, it is confirmed by McGrath that online protection would be given. 

According to McGrath, the current geopolitical context should be cherished and “defend the values that made the EU a beacon of peace, tolerance and hope, including democracy, respect for fundamental rights and the rule of law”. 

McGrath was inspired by John Hume

As McGrath was talking to the members of the European Parliament (MEPs) belonging to a number of committees, he paid tribute to John Hume, one of the Nobel Prize winners. He was the politician who inspired McGrath when he was in the beginning years of his political career. 

He said,

“He was a peacemaker, statesman and a proud member of this Parliament for 25 years”. 

The reason McGrath commits to strengthening online safeguards

Michael McGrath has become the next European Union justice chief after quitting being the national finance minister of Ireland.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wants someone eligible with reference to being ‘self-proclaimed’ and ‘experienced’ politicians who know the significance of data protection for its nation, consumer and the entire country. 

While he was speaking to the members of the EU, he confirmed that with his work, he would verify his voice to be aligned with the voice of the people, with an assurance that the voice is heard. 

McGrath’s speech was about his missions and beliefs

McGrath began his speech with an opening statement, especially for Spain. He was in grief with the Spanish committee members over the loss they had to witness due to the severe storms in recent days, in Valencia and other parts of Spain.

McGrath believed that the integrity of the electoral process needs to be transparent so the results are fair. The safety of election of candidates is mandatory in the prevalence of mounting threats to their security, he said. 

He further added,

“We need to protect election candidates from undue pressure, particularly women who are often subjected to abuse amplified by misogynist stereotypes”. 

He emphasised that the rule of law is above all the policies and the process of the country. It is essential to safeguard individual rights for the prosperity of people and their economies across the world, he explained.

McGrath told that with union and equality, every individual would be in a state of mind to work for the betterment of the country as soon as an opportunity comes his way, and that too with social fairness. 

McGrath’s views about EU democracy

Michael McGrath stressed that EU democracy is a “work in progress”. The June’s elections need to be strengthened with thorough protection since with AI’s manipulative methods, there still remains a threat of disinformation and tarnishing of the process’s sophistication, he added. 

He elucidated that ensuring that no major disruptions were observed in the election is a fact that is remarkable in itself, however, it “did not happen by chance”. 

McGrath clarified his stance 

McGrath knew that there still lies a vacuum regarding combating cross-border serious crime since the European Public Prosecutor’s Office needs the required fortification for the said matter. 

Therefore, he further clarified his stance on the matter as he said that he would work for the promotion of improved cooperation between EPPO, Olaf (the EU’s anti-fraud agency) and Eurojust Europol. 

Online protection for consumers and minors

McGrath was extremely serious about data protection for consumers and minors. He guaranteed that consumers would not be exploited for commercial purposes and that the children are naive and, thus, should be given more online protection.

He elucidated that consumer protection is important for making sure that social media influencers sometimes try to misguide consumers to make money. 

Hence, as a commissioner, he has plans to introduce a Digital Fairness Act for both sorts of protection, for consumers and children. With this Act, he envisioned tracking the dark patterns that online influencers use to change people’s minds about petty things. 

The addictive buying patterns of digital products would be shunned and filtered through the said Act so that unfair personalisation practices are prohibited online. 

Also, the harmful practices that children get exposed to while playing online games would be monitored with the policies of the Act. The prioritisation of minors against hurtful online practices is seriously practised after McGrath became a commissioner, he verified.  

Not only consumers and minors but journalists need full protection too

McGrath did not leave journalists while talking about online protection. He clarified that it would remain part of his work that the safety of journalists is warranted. 

He would do this by revising the existing legislation including the European Media Freedom Act for the protection of journalists.

He would verify the quick implementation of the policies so that the work of journalists is not hindered since the professionals would be concerned about their safety against abusive lawsuits. He said that anti-SLAPP safeguards would be scrutinised for this purpose. 

He was aware that the business models of big-tech giants is to keep people engaged online with as much time as possible, including children. Thus, it has become a huge responsibility of the government to cut their monopoly down and stop them from making money out of innocent minds, for the sake of advertising spent on these platforms.

There is a harmful impact on their functionalities, and this is where the Digital Fairness Act would come to play its meaningful part. 

McGrath’s viewpoints on freedom of speech and Islamic terrorism

When asked about the freedom of speech and rights of Islamic terrorism or even the equality issues of men and women, McGrath answered the far-right MEP by saying that “respect of our values applies to everyone”.

McGrath repeated that human values are ingrained and nobody can snatch them away, such as freedom of speech and religion. The respect for human dignity would remain as it is as “these are non-negotiable”. 

When he tried to address the issue of freedom of expression and online protection, he explained in a nutshell that there is no tolerance for hateful language, however, keeping a balance between freedom and a language that is more absurd is a challenge.

With the help of his ideologies, he would ensure that the online threat does not increase and does not transform into a criminal area that might have an adverse impact on the citizens of the European Union. 

FAQs

1. What are Michael McGrath’s main goals as commissioner-designate?

McGrath aims to strengthen online protections for minors and consumers, enhance the security of election processes, and ensure the safety of journalists. He is committed to data protection, safeguarding EU values like democracy and respect for human rights, and improving cross-border cooperation to combat serious crimes.

2. How does McGrath plan to protect minors online?

McGrath plans to introduce a Digital Fairness Act specifically focused on protecting minors from harmful online practices. This Act will monitor online games and digital platforms to prevent exposure to unsafe content and addictive buying patterns, especially among children.

3. What is the Digital Fairness Act?

The Digital Fairness Act is a proposed policy by McGrath to safeguard consumers and minors from exploitative online practices. It aims to regulate and eliminate “dark patterns” used by digital influencers and platforms to manipulate consumer decisions, and it seeks to limit children’s exposure to harmful content.

4. Why is data protection a priority for McGrath?

As data collection and exploitation continue to grow, McGrath emphasises that data protection is crucial to ensure individuals’ privacy and autonomy. He is committed to creating policies that prevent misuse of personal data, particularly for commercial gains targeting consumers and minors.

5. How will McGrath support journalists and their freedom?

McGrath plans to enhance journalist protection by updating the European Media Freedom Act. He seeks to enforce anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) protections, which guard journalists from abusive lawsuits that can hinder their work.