Fine Gael Dun Laoghaire TD, Mary Mitchell O’Connor, has today (Wednesday) welcomed the fact that a plastic surgery app aimed at children as young as nine has been removed from iTunes and Google Play.

“I was very concerned yesterday to learn of the contents of this app, which provoked a strong backlash online. The app, which targeted children as young as nine, asks users to act as a plastic surgeon to ‘operate’ on a female character who is overweight.

“While this app has been available for some time, the Every Day Sexism project helped to highlight its contents yesterday, and thankfully iTunes and Google Play have now responded by removing the app from their sites.

“I am pleased that these app providers have taken the responsible step of removing the app, which in my view could promote negative body image among young girls. I would also encourage both iTunes and Google Play to examine their monitoring procedures to ensure that any apps being targeted at children are age appropriate.”