DUBLIN, Ireland: The Irish government has been urged to take a leaf out of the Australian handbook and restrict "toxic" social media algorithms over the potential harm being done to children.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the European Commission was already investigating social media algorithms, and Ireland would run a large pilot of a digital wallet next year to verify users' ages.

Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns raised the issue, quoting a High Court judge who likened children using the internet unhindered to them "playing with matches."

While referencing Australia's social media ban for children aged under 16 from December 10, Cairns acknowledged that governments around the world were grappling with a "hugely complex issue."

She said she had issues with such a ban, including that current online age restrictions are not enforced.

"Delaying access to social media sites does nothing about the recommender algorithms that are feeding children toxic content," she said.

She quoted studies that found social media platforms show young teenagers content about self-harm and suicide, and "bombarded" teenage boys with misogynistic content.

Cairns said, "Social media platforms now routinely show graphic, violent, or racist videos to people who are not looking for that content.

"This isn't just having a hugely damaging impact on children; it is massively corrosive for society. It is spreading misinformation and hate through communities like wildfire."

She asked if the Government would regulate algorithms that direct harmful and extremist content to people.

"We will be examining all aspects of this, including the impacts and the use of algorithms to direct people to certain areas, and that clearly is an issue."

Martin said there needed to be "coordinated, robust and rights-respecting" responses to social media, and that the reaction should span education, parental support, and age-verification controls.

"We're also developing a secure, privacy-focused approach to age verification, and we're working to include age verification functionality in Ireland's digital wallet under the EU project.

"That's about giving parents and young people robust, government-backed mechanisms to protect privacy, and a large-scale pilot is planned for early next year."

He said 462 schools had drawn six million euros in funding to reduce phone use in classrooms by purchasing materials such as phone pouches. This has also reduced phone distractions in classrooms.

He said the US believes the EU is over-regulating "the digital space," to which Martin said, "I don't think we are."