Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 14 July 2021
104. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the steps she is taking to protect against social media platforms being used for cyberbullying; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38563/21]
View answerThe Online Safety and Media Regulation (OSMR) Bill will establish a multi-person Media Commission, including an Online Safety Commissioner, dissolve the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, establish regulatory frameworks for online safety and the regulation of audiovisual media services, and transpose the revised Audiovisual Media Services Directive.
It will be the role of the Online Safety Commissioner to oversee the regulatory framework for online safety. As part of the framework, the Commissioner will devise binding online safety codes that will set out how regulated online services, including social media services, are expected to deal with certain defined categories of harmful online content on their platforms. The defined categories of harmful online content include criminal material, serious cyberbullying material and material promoting self-harm, suicide and eating disorders.
Under the measures proposed in the Bill, in the event of a failure to comply with a relevant online safety code, and subject to Court approval, the Media Commission will have the power to sanction non-compliant online services, including through financial sanctions of up to €20m or 10% of turnover.
The finalisation of the General Scheme of the OSMR Bill was approved on 8 December 2020. Detailed legal drafting of the Bill by the Office of the Attorney General is at an advanced stage. In addition, pre-legislative scrutiny of the general scheme of the Bill by the relevant Joint Oireachtas Committee is under way.
