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Coimisiún na Meán is very concerned about the video circulating on social media regarding an assault on a 14-year-old in Meath this week.
When we are fully operational, we will be enforcing rules that require platforms to rapidly remove this sort of harmful content, once it is brought to their attention. We will also be enforcing other rules related to harmful and illegal content.
In the meantime, given the seriousness of this incident, Online Safety Commissioner Niamh Hodnett has asked the main social media platforms to urgently provide An Coimisiún with a report on what they have done to remove the video and to ensure that that it is not reuploaded.
An Coimisiún, which was established on 15th March 2023, is currently finalising its workplan for the next 12 months, which will include designating services for regulation and developing and putting in place a binding online safety code.
The code will set standards for how providers minimise the availability of harmful content and the risks that it poses, including the speedy removal of such content.
Protecting minors from harmful content is extremely high on An Coimisiún’s agenda and will play a key part in these online safety codes.
As part of the development of the codes, An Coimisiún will consider a range of obligations, which might include matters such as how providers handle complaints about harmful content, how they protect children from age-inappropriate content, and how they minimise the number of people exposed to harmful content.
An Coimisiún’s workplan, which covers its start-up phase to February 2024 when the EU Digital Services Act will be fully applicable, will be published in June.
ENDS