TikTok has 'change of heart' and will now attend Oireachtas committee, Alan Kelly says

TIKTOK HAS NOW accepted an invitation to attend the Oireachtas Media Committee this month, after initially rejecting the invite. 

The social media giant was asked to attend to discuss the role of their videos in the fatal crash on the M9 in August.

Five teenagers in a car driving the wrong way down the M9 were killed when their car hit a family driving to Dublin Airport, seriously injuring three sisters and their seven-year-old nephew.

TikTok turned down the committee’s invitation, citing ongoing inquiries by An Garda Síochána and Coimisiún na Meán. Instead, it offered the committee a private briefing.

In a statement this afternoon, media committee chair and Labour TD Alan Kelly said TikTok has had “a change of heart”.

“I very much welcome the decision of TikTok to now attend our Oireachtas Committee meeting on 23 September. They confirmed this in writing to our Committee this morning,” Kelly said.

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He said it follows an engagement he had on Thursday at the Irish Presidency Conference on Online Safety for Children and Young People with TikTok’s representative.

“At and following our panel discussion yesterday I asked that TikTok reconsider their previous decision not to attend,” he said.

“In particular I did so as yesterday TikTok were able to outline much of what they currently do and plan to do when it comes to online safety. They outlined that they spend approximately €2 billion a year on online safety.”

He added: “I appreciate their change of heart and I look forward to full engagement with our committee on September 23rd.”

TikTok has been contacted for comment. 

The social media platform has come under the microscope after it emerged that many videos were circulating on its site, showing footage and images of vehicles, garda pursuits, and reckless driving, including driving the wrong way down motorways.

The company was asked to appear before the committee to answer questions about the safeguards it has in place to protect users from dangerous and harmful content, and the steps it is taking to “limit and remove content that glorifies irresponsible and illegal activity”, especially “content that potentially places the public in danger”.