Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022
On the 10th December 2022, after input and engagement with relevant stakeholders, and after undergoing intense scrutiny in the Dáil, the parliament of Ireland, the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022 was signed into law.
The Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022 recognises the gap in addressing harmful online content. The Act will close the legal gap and will establish a legal regulatory framework to respond to harmful online content.
Harmful online content is linked to 42 existing criminal laws in Ireland, for example, a person distributing or publishing threatening or offensive communication about or to another person, as well as to non-offence categories such as serious cyber-bullying material, material likely to encourage/promote eating disorders, self-harm or suicide, and material which makes it know how to self-harm or commit suicide.
The Act established Coimisiún na Meán as Ireland’s new media regulator with responsibility for introducing the new regulatory framework. The Act will empower an Online Safety Commissioner, as part of the wider Coimisiún na Meán, to hold designated online services to account through binding online safety codes. These codes will make clear obligations for how these services should tackle the defined categories of harmful online content. Coimisiún na Meán will have robust monitoring, enforcement and sanctioning powers to make sure services comply with the codes.
Additionally, the Act enables the Online Safety Commissioner to issue online safety guidance materials regarding online safety, which includes age-appropriate content as well as harmful online content, including pornography and extreme violence.
Coimisiún na Meán are currently developing Ireland’s first Online Safety Code.
DATA
- CategoryPolicy papers
- CountryIreland
- LanguageEnglish
- Type of resourceDocument Website