Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 October 2023
249. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media what engagements she has had with social media companies with regard to tackling hate speech and sharing of offensive materials online; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43887/23]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that in March 2023, the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022 was commenced. In developing, drafting and progressing the Act to commencement, my Department and I engaged with a range of stakeholders, including social media platforms.
As provided for by the Act and on its commencement, Coimisiún na Meán was formally established. An Coimisiún is a new independent regulator, responsible for the enforcement of a new regulatory framework for online safety to protect people, particularly children, from some of the most serious forms of harmful online content.
To deliver this, Coimisiún na Meán will develop online safety codes which will tackle, among other things, the availability of online content related to existing offences around hate speech and the publication or sending of threatening or offensive communications. In June 2023, an Coimisiún published its work programme, which targets the adoption of the first online safety code, applying to video-sharing platform services, by the end of this year.
Government has also decided to designate an Coimisiún na Meán as Ireland's Digital Services Coordinator for the purposes of the implementation of the EU Digital Services Act. Work is on-going by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment to give operational and legislative effect to that decision and a Digital Services Commissioner has already been appointed to An Coimisiún. The DSA introduces new EU wide rules requiring online services to tackle the availability of illegal content on their services.
