Mick Moran : Protecting Our Children Online

Topics covered: Online safety, childhood, parenting, smartphones, social media, gaming, Roblox, algorithms, manipulation, digital autonomy, grooming, sextortion, exploitation, CSAM, pornography, harmful content, suicide, sharenting, digital literacy, boundaries, notifications, personal responsibility, screen time, peer pressure, parental responsibility, online reporting.

CONTENT WARNING: This episode includes discussions of child sexual abuse material, sexual exploitation, grooming, sextortion, pornography, suicide and other disturbing subjects. It is intended for adult listeners and is not suitable for children.

My guest in this episode is Mick Moran, CEO of Hotline.ie, Ireland's national reporting centre for suspected illegal online content, particularly child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

He spent 34 years in An Garda Síochána before joining Hotline.ie.

Recorded during the summer of 2026, this is a frank and, at times, deeply unsettling conversation about the online world we're living in and what it means for our children.

A significant part of our conversation focuses on parenting. When should children get their first smartphone? Are we putting them at a disadvantage by delaying access to them?

This isn't about judging parents or pretending there are easy answers. As a mother of two young kids, I'm very aware that many of these decisions are ahead of me too.

And if this episode resonated with you, I suggest you listen to my conversations with psychotherapist Richard Hogan, in particular the one on Adolescence.

Resources and support

Hotline.ie - Irish Internet Hotline

Ireland's national reporting centre where members of the public can securely, anonymously and confidentially report suspected illegal online content, especially child sexual abuse material.

https://hotline.ie