Ireland has introduced new regulations to ensure video-sharing platforms better protect users, particularly young people, from harmful content. These platforms, such as TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, must now comply with stricter rules that aim to curb exposure to dangerous online material.
What’s Happening & Why This Matters
The newly implemented online safety code prohibits the sharing of harmful content on video-sharing platforms. This includes material related to cyber-bullying, self-harm, eating disorders, terrorism, and child sexual abuse. It also specifically targets racism and xenophobia, ensuring that such harmful material cannot be disseminated on these platforms.
The code also mandates that platforms prevent children from being exposed to pornographic or excessively violent content. Furthermore, these platforms must provide parental controls to allow caregivers more say in what their children can access online. The platforms covered by this mandate include Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube.
The adoption of this code is one component of an extensive safety initiative under the Online Safety Framework, which is backed by the EU Digital Services Act (DSA). Ireland’s media regulator, Coimisiún na Meán, oversees the enforcement of these new regulations. Platforms have been given a nine-month window to make any technical changes needed to fully comply. Sanctions for non-compliance are steep, with fines that can reach up to €20 million or 10% of the offending platform’s annual turnover. The compliance window and associated fines allow companies take these new rules seriously. Niamh Hodnett, the Online Safety Commissioner, emphasized that the code is a crucial step in creating a safer internet environment for all.
TF Summary: What’s Next
Ireland’s new regulations are a decisive action to create a safer online space for young people. Platforms have a limited time to comply and face steep penalties if they don’t. The implementation of this code, alongside the EU Digital Services Act, shows that European regulators are ramping up efforts to control the spread of harmful content online.
The directives’ goals indicate that governments and regulatory bodies are now prioritizing online safety, yet more sweeping reforms may follow. It remains to be seen how quickly platforms adjust, but the focus on user safety is clear and immediate.
— Text-to-Speech (TTS) provided by gspeech