Coimisiún na Meán was formally established on commencement of the Online Safety and Media Regulation (OSMR) Act on 15 March 2023. Under the Act, it is Coimisiún na Meán which is responsible for the development and application of online safety codes. These codes will seek to protect users of certain designated online services from exposure to some of the most serious forms of harmful online content.
Under section 5 of the OSMR Act, Coimisiún na Meán is independent in the performance of its functions and the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media has no function in this regard. Given its functions however under the OSMR Act, the development of online safety codes is a priority for Coimisiún na Meán.