Coimisiún na Meán has issued a statutory Information Notice to X Internet Unlimited Company, the provider of the platform X. Under Section 139O of the Broadcasting Act, a statutory Information Notice compels the recipient to provide information relating to its compliance with the Online Safety Code.
Information provided by X so far is not sufficient to assess whether X’s current measures are sufficient to protect children using the service. An Coimisiún is therefore using its statutory powers to seek further information.
X is obliged to respond by 22 July 2025. Failure to comply with the Notice by the provider can result in criminal liability, including a fine of up to €500k.
An Coimisiún will review the response from X and will consider whether the platform has complied with its obligations under Part A of the Online Safety Code and will then determine if further measures should be taken.
X was designated by Coimisiún na Meán as a video-sharing platform service (VSPS)in December 2023 and is consequently obliged to comply with the Online Safety Code. The Code, which was fully adopted in October 2024, includes measures to protect people, especially children, from harmful video and associated content. Under Part A of the Code designated platforms must establish and operate age verification systems for users with respect to content which may impair physical, mental, or moral development of minors. For the purposes of Part A, the term “age verification” includes effective age assurance measures including age estimation. An age assurance measure based solely on self-declaration of age by users of the service shall not be an effective measure for the purposes of Part A.