Politics

Meta rebuked state for not consulting tech firms over ‘rushed’ electoral reform bill

Social media giant said it had ‘serious concerns’ with the bill, which was signed into law over the summer, and argued it was ‘rushed through the Oireachtas without sufficient scrutiny’

Meta: The company said there had ‘been no consultation with industry’ on the electoral reform bill – ‘despite repeated calls from Technology Ireland’. Picture: RollingNews.ie

Meta complained that Ireland’s electoral reform bill was “rushed through” without any consultation with the tech industry and warned that the now enacted legislation “clearly clashes” with EU plans for a system to monitor political advertising.

In an email seen by the Business Post, the social media giant said it had “serious concerns” with the bill, which was passed through the Oireachtas over the summer and enacted by Michael D Higgins, the president, in August.