A new poll shows that 74 per cent want more regulation while 82 per cent are in favour of social media companies being forced to stop building up specific data about users’ sexual desires, political and religious views, health conditions and or ethnicity, and using that data to pick what videos are shown to people.

The research was conducted by Ireland Thinks, using a representative sample of 1,270 people, selected across age, income, education, region across Ireland.

The findings come as Coimisiún na Meán continues to consult on a draft online safety code which provides that recommender systems based on intimately profiling people are turned off by default on social media video platforms like YouTube, Facebook and TikTok.

Dr Johnny Ryan, a senior fellow of ICCL, said: “Social media was supposed to bring us together. Instead, it tears us apart. Users — not Big Tech’s algorithms — should have the freedom to decide what they see and share online.

“These findings show that the vast majority of the Irish public do not want toxic algorithms interfering in their online lives.”

Siobhan O’Donoghue of Uplift said: “Big Tech’s toxic recommender systems and algorithms are amplifying hate speech, weaponising every fault line within our communities — driven by relentless surveillance to maximise ‘engagement’ and ultimately profits.

“It is time social media corporations be made to give users real control over what they see, and be held to account for failing to do so.”