Ireland's media regulator, Coimisiún na Meán, said it remains concerned about the spread of violent imagery, hate speech and disinformation on social media platforms following last night's unrest in Dublin.
There has been much focus on the role played by social media in the riots, with anti-immigrant rhetoric and misinformation being spread on some platforms.
Coimisiún na Meán has held meetings with platforms, together with the European Commission, to get more information about how they have responded to the incidents that unfolded online and offline.
The regulator said it alerted platforms to the stabbing incident in Dublin yesterday and was told by them that they activated their incident response mechanisms.
"A feature of the rioting last night was the use of messaging and online platforms to spread hatred, to incite violence and crime, as well as to spread disinformation," Coimisiún na Méan said in a statement, adding that it is calling on all platforms based in Ireland to limit the spread of such content and take steps not to amplify it.
"We also encourage them to work with An Garda Síochána in identifying persons using their platforms to spread hatred and incite crime.
"We remain concerned about the spread of videos or imagery showing graphic violence, speech inciting hatred or violence, and the spread of disinformation and misinformation," the regulator said.
"We plan to meet with the platforms again in the coming days to receive further updates on how the platforms are responding to these events," it added.
Coimisiún na Méan also said that yesterday's violent incidents highlight the risks of disinformation and misinformation to a modern democracy.
Aoife Gallagher is a Senior Analyst with the Insitute for Stategic Dialogue and is an expert on online disinformation.
"There was a serious effort across online platforms by individuals that we would be very familiar with because we look at them all the time," Ms Gallagher said.
"These are people associated with anti-immigration protests and far-right ideologies.
"And really, the way it all played out was quite predictable because tensions were so high," she added.
Video-sharing platform TikTok said its Trust and Safety team has been closely monitoring the situation since yesterday afternoon and has been proactively removing any content that violates its community guidelines.
According to a spokesperson, it immediately engaged its internal teams and protocols following the stabbing incident, adding that its law enforcement team was immediately in touch with the Gardai to ensure open communication channels.
YouTube said that in moments like this, its systems prioritise connecting viewers with high-quality news and information from authoritative sources.
Under the EU's new set of online safety rules, the Digital Services Act, platforms are obliged to assess and mitigate a series of risks from the use of their services, including negative effects for public security.
They are also obliged to notify law enforcement authorities if they become aware of information about an actual or potential criminal offence involving public safety.
