- Opinion
- 15 Mar 19
The RTÉ Prime Time man believes social media platforms must be held to account
Miriam Callaghan has been granted permission to seek an order against Facebook after false skin-care ads bearing her name and likeness appeared on the social media platform.
The subject is addressed by her Prime Time co-presenter David McCullagh in the current issue of Hot Press.
“I’ve given up on Facebook,” he tells our man Stuart Clark. “It’s worrying when you see the likes of those fake anti-wrinkle cream ads that Miriam is threatening to sue them over.”
Pat Kenny has also had to clarify that social media ads for an erectile dysfunction product bearing his likeness are equally false.
“Bryan Dobson as well,” Dave McCullagh resumes. “I had great pleasure in sending him a copy of one of them. Actually, it’s not funny because people are being misled. It’s extraordinary that a company would allow that to appear on the platform they provide, and only do something when someone stands up to them and threatens legal action. It gets beyond a joke. If you don’t stand up to it and force them to police themselves, people are going to believe this nonsense is true. The Miriam one said she’d left RTÉ. All you have to do is turn on the bloody television and there she is.”
In an in-depth interview, McCullagh also discusses Trump, Brexit, drinking, misogyny, Dev, Charlie, the Chuckle Brothers and internet trolls.