A government Minister says it is inevitable that social media giants will be regulated.

The government has been examining how content posted online can be subject to more checks and balances.

Communications Minister Denis Naughten has threatened Facebook with multi-million euro fines after an undercover investigation showed the company was instructing staff not to remove violent content.

Minister Finian McGrath says more controls are on the way.

"We need to ensure that social media is regulated [for] the safety and protection of children and vulnerable people in the broader society," he said.

Every other aspect of media are regulated and have some sort of controls and accountability. I think it's inevitable that it's going to happen in the near future.

Digital Desk