Finian Murphy

Children's Ombudsman hugely concerned over use of AI 'nudify' apps on images of underage girls Teenagers have cited a ‘chilling’ effect on their online behaviour as a result of the apps.

“The ease of access by children to this type of technology is a huge concern to the Ombudsman for Children’s Office (OCO). It is difficult to comprehend any possible need for these apps when the risk of abuse and sexual exploitation of children is so high.”

www.thejournal.ie/nudify-apps-...

Centrist dads must get out of comfort zone to combat manosphere Men must engage with issues like pornography, the imbalance in childcare, the gender pay gap, men’s mental health, and gender-based violence

www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/comm...

Great audience connection.
Loads of fun.

Dublin really enjoyed Antony Szmierek.
A crowd of middle-aged ravers, including myself, soaking up the lyrics.

Never again is now.

👇

This is a kind and deeply thoughtful thread that applies to anyone who has become unmoored from reality.

McGregor's 'dangerous Dublin' claim traces to gambling site list Conor McGregor appears to have based one of the key views he expressed during his St Patrick's Day White House visit on a ranking of European cities published by an online gambling company.

A survey-anyone site ranks cities.

A gambling site uses that output directly in a press release.

Media pick up the release, run headlines like 'Dublin among most dangerous cities in Europe.'

Twitter users add their spice - it ends up in the White House.

2025 infocycle.
www.rte.ie/news/primeti...

Just re-read your “Do Something” post from the summer. Resonates a lot. Thanks.

He’s just a spoofer.

Séamas O'Reilly: We need to stop lying about what makes lost boys such easy marks for cons Economically depressed young men are aggressively targeted with the oldest, most seductive pitch there is — money for nothing — by bad faith actors with enormous wealth

I wrote this on young men, and why we need to stop lying about why they're easy prey for reptiles like Andrew Tate.

www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle-co...

Patrick Freyne: Here’s what I see when I see Irish people at their best We are hospitable and irreverent, but also cynical and parochial. When things get difficult, who do we want to be?

… and this from @patrickfreyne.bsky.social is the better version I wanted to write.

www.irishtimes.com/life-style/p...

My latest piece for @thejournal.ie explores what the data shows us about the values of Irish society.

jrnl.ie/6649592

Winston Churchill visiting the WH in 1942. Not wearing a suit

😮

This is going well.

Debunked: Woman wrongly accused of Satanism for wearing St Brigid's cross at LA fires press event Users claimed that an upside down cross explained the outbreak of fire.

Debunked: Woman wrongly accused of Satanism for wearing St Brigid's cross at LA fires press event jrnl.ie/6593579

Architect’s drawing of cafe space

Man sitting at café counter

Nighthawks painting by Edward Hopper

Detail of Nighthawks painting by Edward Hopper

Spotted the lad from Edward Hopper’s ‘Nighthawks’ sitting in the architect’s drawing of Dublin City Council’s new Merrion Square café. They need to raise the shelf height stat cos his elbow is just hovering in mid-air there. #spéirgorm

He meets his mother in #Masyaf City in #Syria
after 13 years of forced displacement

Reflecting on Ireland in 2024: Assessing the state of the nation Finian Murphy examines how we view ourselves and our lives as the year draws to a close.

I enjoyed writing this for @thejournal.ie about the flatness, the cognitive dissonance and the need for community and culture at this moment.

Reflecting on Ireland in 2024: Assessing the state of the nation jrnl.ie/6578396

Who is 'the money behind the money?' As the Guardian announces the 'sale' of the 233-year-old Observer to Tortoise Media, I wave hello to my new bosses (hi!) with an investigation of their finances.

Fascinating investigation by @carolecadwalla.bsky.social about who now owns The Observer, part of The Guardian, which you may have always trusted to inform your objective view of the world.

open.substack.com/pub/broligar...

9% rise in domestic abuse-related contacts to gardaí There has been a 9% increase in the number of contacts to gardaí in relation to domestic violence this year.

There has been a 9% increase in the number of contacts to gardaí in relation to domestic violence this year. More than 61,000 domestic abuse related contacts were received by An Garda Síochána to date in 2024

The older I get, the more I wonder at those who capture the blunt, angry numbness of grief. Not just the sorrow; the emptiness, the rage. The tiring, tedious business of running on the spot.

I wish Brian comfort, and only hope he knows how many people his words will reach, and help.

Patrick Freyne: I am becoming a demotivational speaker – let’s all have an averagely productive December I keep meeting people who are extremely burned out. I meet them so often that I’m beginning to think burnout is something that exists by design

I'm launching a new career as a demotivational speaker (thanks to everyone who got in touch this morning - it's nice to hear it strikes a chord) www.irishtimes.com/life-style/p...

actively coordinated further amplification across individual Telegram channels for each of Romania’s 41 counties. The central channel also provided detailed instructions for additional content generation and strategies for sharing on different platforms, especially TikTok and Facebook.

Rise of unknown Romanian presidential candidate preceded by Telegram and TikTok engagement spikes Network of Telegram channels helped previously obscure candidate Calin Georgescu reach 1.4 billion total views on TikTok

Telegram served as an unofficial but closely linked command hub for the Georgescu campaign. A central channel, known as “Propagator,” distributed more than 1,800 pieces of campaign material and…

dfrlab.org/2024/12/12/r...

“Education is also critical. It can empower individuals to think independently, question sources and understand the complexity of the endless information available on the internet.”
Having recently learnt about Finland’s education on critical thinking - this feels like a big unlock on many areas.

Some use of AI to generate the Mariah Carey video! #LateLateToyShow

and just like that we won the internet back

“And to celebrate our 32 counties, ladies and gentlemen, welcome Kneecap” #LateLateToyShow