On today’s show, Niall is joined by John McGurk of Gript Media for a wide-ranging conversation on what lies ahead politically and culturally in Ireland. John shares his predictions for the months to come, before turning to a major and controversial announcement from Tánaiste Simon Harris: plans to require users to verify their identities before accessing social media platforms.

The proposal is being framed as a way to combat bots, disinformation, and to better protect children online. While those aims may sound reasonable on the surface, Niall and John examine why the reality could be far more troubling. From data breaches and state overreach to the creation of massive identity databases, they explore why the cybersecurity and civil liberties implications could be nothing short of catastrophic—and why the end of online anonymity may create far more problems than it solves.

A must-listen discussion on power, privacy, and the unintended consequences of “safety” legislation in the digital age.