Justice committee votes down proposal to set digital age of consent at 16

The Oireachtas justice committee has voted down proposals to amend the Data Protection Bill 2018 to set the digital age of consent at 16.

Leading children’s organisations who opposed the proposed amendment — the Children’s Rights Alliance, the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC), and others — have welcomed the outcome of this morning’s vote.

The organisations are now calling on TDs to retain 13 as the digital age of consent when the bill reaches report and final stage.

The EU General Data Protection Regulation, which is transposed into Irish law through the Data Protection Bill, presumes a “default” digital age of consent of 16, but allows member states to set their own.

Tanya Ward, chief executive of the Children’s Rights Alliance, said: “There have been several attempts to make amendments to the age of digital consent set out in legislation so we are pleased that common sense has prevailed today. Key bodies working for and with children have recommended 13 years as the age of digital consent.

“Children’s individual rights must be valued, and raising the age of consent to 16 will potentially undermine child protection measures and result in some services potentially being withdrawn.

“There are many reasons why children’s interests are best served by retaining the age at 13. We should be approaching this with a calm head. A number of amendments have also been tabled which strengthen children’s protection online and we welcome these.”

Grainia Long from the ISPCC added: “Online safety is the child protection issue of our time. No one should confuse data protection and the need to ensure children’s safety online with imposing unworkable restrictions on children’s use of services.

“We welcome the huge interest in the issue of children’s online safety in recent weeks. The defeat of this amendment is a positive sign that the voice of the child is being heard.”