A technology company will be making changes to a livestream portal between Dublin, Ireland, and New York City, following reports of “inappropriate behavior,” according to multiple media outlets.
The art technology installations, dubbed “The Portal,” were unveiled in both Dublin and New York City less than a week ago, creating an “unprecedented bridge,” between the two cities, according to the Dublin City Council. Both portals run a 24/7 livestream from the other city, allowing visitors to interact with one another in real-time.
Days after the portals’ debut, reports of visitors engaging inappropriate behavior circulated on social media over the weekend, BBC News reported.
Clips on social media showed people in Dublin flashing body parts, showing pictures of 9/11 and swear words on phone screens, Sky News reported. In one instance, police escorted a woman away after she was seen grinding against the portal, the outlet added.
In a statement to BBC News and Sky News Monday, a spokesperson for Dublin City Council said “technical solutions” would be made in the next 24 hours.
“While we cannot control all of these actions, we are implementing some technical solutions to address this and these will go live in the next 24 hours,” the spokesperson reportedly said.
“We will continue to monitor the situation over the coming days with our partners in New York to ensure that Portals continue to deliver a positive experience for both cities and the world,” they added.
The spokesperson said the technical changes will be done mostly at night and will require the livestream to be paused, per Sky News. Most of the interactions have been “positive,” the spokesperson added.
The Hill reached out to the Dublin City Council for comment.
In one clip on social media, a woman performed Irish step dancing in front of the portal, where a group of New York visitors appeared to cheer her on. In photos posted by the company behind the project, Portals Organization, daughters and mothers waved to each other through the portals.
