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Irish Lawmakers Summon TikTok Over Dangerous Driving Videos

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Irish lawmakers have asked TikTok to explain how it handles videos that glorify illegal and dangerous driving after police warned that young people were driving on the wrong side of motorways for social media attention. The move follows a deadly crash on Sunday in which five teenage boys died, while three women and a child in another vehicle were seriously injured.

Videos reportedly showing dangerous driving and motorway stunts have spread widely across social media. Ireland’s media regulator has also asked TikTok for details on the steps it has taken to address reckless driving content. TikTok said it was monitoring material linked to the crash and removing videos and accounts that violate its rules.

Irish police groups say groups of young men have been competing to create increasingly dangerous videos involving traffic violations and encounters with police. The government has promised additional resources for law enforcement and is considering making wrong-way motorway driving a separate offence, while police plan to introduce vehicle-pursuit training later this year.

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Irish Police Foil Border Bomb Plot

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Irish police have intercepted a car carrying a significant explosive device near the border with Northern Ireland, preventing what officials said could have caused extensive damage. The vehicle was stopped near Carrickmacross in County Monaghan, around 10 kilometres from the border, and the army’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal team safely examined the device.

A woman in her 20s has been charged in connection with the investigation, while a man in his 40s remains in custody for questioning. Police believe the plot was linked to dissident republican militants who oppose the 1998 Good Friday Agreement and continue to pose a security threat.

Although the peace agreement largely ended decades of conflict in Northern Ireland, sporadic attacks by splinter militant groups continue. Authorities say the latest interception highlights ongoing efforts to prevent extremist violence and maintain security along the Irish border.

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Irish Woman Wrongly Accused by Newspaper of Losing Son to Vaccine

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Following a lawsuit against a conspiracy theory newspaper that falsely attributed her son’s death to a Covid vaccine, a bereaved mother and her legal representative have become targets of severe online abuse. The Irish Light, known for spreading vaccine misinformation, inaccurately implicated Edel Campbell’s son, Diego Gilsenan, and others in vaccine-related deaths. This marked the first instance of a relative suing over such a case. Diego, who tragically took his own life and was not vaccinated, was included in the erroneous article.

The backlash against Ms. Campbell after filing her legal action has been distressing, deterring other affected families from seeking similar recourse, according to her solicitor, Ciaran Mulholland. The Irish Light and its editor, Gemma O’Doherty, have launched a campaign of derogatory social media posts and threats. Supporters of the publication have even called for violence against Ms. Campbell’s lawyer. The legal case aims to address harassment and defamation, rather than pursuing retribution or compensation.

In response to the false claims made by the newspaper, Ms. Campbell and her lawyer decided to take legal action against Gemma O’Doherty. The Irish Light had published a front-page photo of Diego and others with the misleading headline “Died Suddenly.” This headline was subsequently used by conspiracy theorists to suggest a link between young people’s unexpected deaths and the Covid-19 vaccine.

Ms. Campbell’s legal pursuit is backed by donations and pro bono work. Despite obtaining a restraining order against the Irish Light editor in July, abusive posts have persisted on social media. The Irish police are investigating the alleged harassment. Gemma O’Doherty and the Irish Light have not responded to inquiries from the BBC.

The case bears resemblance to other instances where conspiracy theorists have targeted victims, such as survivors of the Manchester Arena bombing and parents of Sandy Hook shooting victims. The Irish Light has a history of promoting conspiracy theories, and its unfounded claims have been a source of distress for Ms. Campbell and others who have faced similar unfounded allegations.

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