Noeline Blackwell

In a statement marking World Children’s Day yesterday, the NGO welcomed the coming into force of Ireland’s new online safety code, but said it did not go far enough to achieve child safety.

Noeline Blackwell, online safety co-ordinator at the Children’s Rights Alliance, said: “Ireland’s first-ever online safety code is a vital piece of the puzzle in keeping our children and young people safe online.

“The entry into effect of part of the code is the beginning of a new age of regulation and oversight in an industry of powerful players that up until now, have played to their own rules, without adequate care for the wellbeing and safety of its users.

“We will now see several of the most influential house-hold names in this space answer to European regulation, enforced by the Irish regulator, Coimisiún na Meán.”

However, she added: “It is important to note that while this first iteration of the code sets standards and expectations for major social media and digital companies to adhere to, its publication alone does not guarantee a safe online space for children.”

The Children’s Rights Alliance has identified concerns with the code’s effectiveness in protecting children and young people from online harm.

It says age verification measures introduced in the code focus primarily on adult-only content, failing to protect children from harmful content present on other platforms that children can still access.

It says the code does not sufficiently address illegal content specific to children, such as grooming or engaging with a child for the purposes of child sexual abuse.

It also says the code lacks specific requirements for complaint mechanisms that are age appropriate and accessible by children and young people.

“These omissions raise serious worries about the potential effectiveness of the Code,” Ms Blackwell said.

“Despite being well aware of the harms to children and young people, it is of even greater concern when you consider the fact that each designated tech company regulated under Coimisúin na Meán has until next July to produce their own plans about how they propose to prioritise children’s safety online and adjust their systems accordingly.

“This is disappointing, given that it means another eight months of leeway while harms can still occur.

“It is also unfortunate that where children or their care givers find abusive or harmful material online, the Code provides little direct guidance to platforms on what an accessible, speedy and child-friendly reporting and complaint system should look like.”

The Children’s Rights Alliance is calling for children and young people’s safety and wellbeing online to be a top priority in the next programme for government.