In Irish common law, the charming euphemism for being a pimp is “living off immoral earnings”. It would be ridiculously crude to suggest that Ireland pimps itself out to the social media oligarchs. But the State nonetheless gives the same reply as the soldier in the duet in Brendan Behan’s The Hostage who is asked whether he would live off immoral earnings: “Yes, too bloody true I would.”

When horrors such as the M9 carnage happen we are collectively outraged by the part played by TikTok’s reckless dissemination of videos that encourage boys to show off suicidal (and murderous) stunts. But will we continue to take TikTok’s money? Too bloody true we will.

Last week, as public and political indignation was reaching its crescendo, TikTok’s Dublin operation was finalising (another sweet euphemism here) “mutual termination agreements” with more than 300 workers at its European headquarters on Grand Canal Dock in Dublin. According to The Irish Times, “The majority of the affected roles are within the company’s trust and safety division.”

In other words, TikTok is planning to devote not more but fewer resources to keeping people (especially young people) safe online. “Trust and safety” are, for the social media oligarchs, unnecessary fripperies.

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© The Irish Times