THE first Online Safety Code has been hailed as a landmark development this week. Media regulator Coimisiún na Meán released an updated draft that will be submitted to the European Commission for assessment. The final code will set binding rules for video-sharing platforms that have their EU headquarters in Ireland.
It introduces obligations to protect users from harmful content. Online safety commissioner Niamh Hodnett said: “It is essential to create a safer online world for all of us, especially for our children. This updated code is an important step forward to hold platforms to account for keeping people safe online.
” Writing in The Irish Sun on Sunday, co-founder and CEO of CyberSafeKids, Alex Cooney says the new laws are the first step to bringing the era of self-regulation to an end. ONCE approved by the European Commission, this legally binding code will come into effect this year. It will apply to designated video-sharing platforms (VSPs) based in the EU, including Facebook , Instagram , YouTube , TikTok and X , among others, all of which could face fines of up to €20million for breaching the rules.
As the first of its kind in Ireland, it is important to acknowledge the Online Safety Code as a landmark development. While we and other online safety advocates may be quick to criticise the code’s shortcomings, we are also relieved that we are finally one step further towards ending the era of self-regulation. For too long, these VSPs have functioned in an u.