Online Safety

Ireland's first draft online safety code should be treated as a model for Europe, the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) has said. Coimisiún na Meán last week began consulting on the draft online safety code for video-sharing platform services, which sets out measures that design

Draft legislation providing for the full implementation of the EU Digital Services Act in Ireland has been published. The EU Digital Services Regulation, more commonly referred to as the EU Digital Services Act, will establish a new regulatory framework to protect EU users of digital services and th

The US and UK have committed to developing and funding new capabilities to stop the spread of AI-generated images of child abuse. Home Secretary Suella Braverman, alongside US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, committed to exploring further joint action to tackle the rise of such mater

The Law Society of Ireland's latest free massive open online course (MOOC), dealing with social media and the law, commences today. The five-week course will focus on the Online Safety and Media Regulations Act 2022, online harassment, disinformation/fake news, cancel culture, data privacy, child sa

Eithne Reid O’Doherty BL outlines innovations in two pieces of legislation in respect of stalking, the possibility of speedier access to restraining orders as well as take-down orders. On 29th March 2023 the Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2022 passed the Report Stage and is n

Ireland's new media regulator, Coimisiún na Meán, has been formally established with effect from today. The new authority is responsible for overseeing the regulation of broadcasting and video-on-demand services and for introducing the new regulatory framework for online safety.

Solicitor Niamh Hodnett is to be be appointed as Ireland's inaugural online safety commissioner. The Online Safety and Media Regulation (OSMR) Act 2022, which was signed into law last month, will replace the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) with a new Coimisiún na Meán.

Landmark legislation establishing a regulatory framework for online safety overseen by the new Coimisiún na Meán has been signed into law. The Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022 will allow for the appointment of an online safety commissioner empowered to make binding online sa

Legislative amendments providing explicitly for the designation of an online safety commissioner for Ireland have been tabled by the government. Among the 62 government amendments to the Online Safety and Media Regulation (OSMR) Bill are three amendments giving effect to the government's commitment

A total of 28 prosecutions have been brought by gardaí to date under new laws targeting the sharing of intimate images without consent. The Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020, which the government calls "Coco's Law" after a young woman who took her own life in 20

The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission has set out concerns that a new law being prepared to build online safety and strengthen media regulation, has no detail on the role or functions of a proposed new Online Safety Commissioner. The Commission has also set out its analysis that the current

A ban on the sharing of intimate images without consent, even if there is no specific intent to cause harm, has come into effect. Justice Minister Helen McEntee marked Safer Internet Day today by commencing the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020, which the government ca

The taking or sharing of intimate images without consent, otherwise known as image-based sexual abuse, is set to become a criminal offence under a new law approved by the Oireachtas. The Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Bill was amended last month to include the new offences i

New legislation is required to ensure that the case of journalist Dara Quigley, who took her life after CCTV footage of her without clothing was shared online, is never repeated, an Oireachtas committee has heard. The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) appeared before the Oireachtas justice co

The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) has called for new legislation and reforms to legal aid to protect women from online harassment. In a submission to the Oireachtas justice committee, the rights group called for the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act to be amended to outlaw the cre