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Under Article 22 of the Digital Services Act, Coimisiún na Meán may award the status of Trusted Flagger. Trusted Flaggers will work within designated areas of expertise to identify illegal content. Where a Trusted Flagger identifies illegal content, they may submit a notice to the relevant online platform. Online platforms will be legally obliged to give their notices priority, and to process and decide on these reports without undue delay.

Bodies such as non-governmental organisations, industry federations and trade associations, members of established fact-checkers networks, trade unions, non-regulatory public entities and private or semi-public bodies may become Trusted Flaggers.

To become a Trusted Flagger, an applicant body must:

• have expertise and competence for the purposes of detecting, identifying and notifying illegal content;
• be independent from any provider of online platforms;    
• carry out its activities for the purposes of submitting notices diligently, accurately and objectively.

Coimisiún na Meán can now award Trusted Flagger status to organisations which meet the above conditions and is encouraging qualified entities to consider applying. We have recently published guidance and an application form on our website and any interested organisations are encouraged to read this guidance and to contact trustedflaggerapplications@cnam.ie with any questions that they might have.

• Article 22 Trusted Flaggers: Application Form and Guidance  

Coimisiún na Meán has today (14.02.24) published its Guidelines in Respect of Broadcast Coverage of Referendums.  The guidelines are published in advance of the referendums on the 39^th and 40^th Amendments of the Constitution, scheduled to take place on 8^th March next. The Guidelines come into immediate effect and apply to coverage of the referendums until the closing of polling stations on 8^th March 2024.  

The Guidelines have been developed further to the provisions of the Code of Fairness, Objectivity and Impartiality in News and Current Affairs and provide direction and advice to broadcasters as to how fairness, objectivity and impartiality can be achieved in their coverage of referendum campaigns.

Among the matters covered in the Guidelines are the various ways in which fairness, objectivity and impartiality can be achieved, the management of conflicts of interest, the prohibition on political advertising, and coverage of opinion polls. Other matters addressed include on-air contributions via social media, a prohibition on presenters encouraging listeners or viewers to vote in support of or against any particular outcome in the referendums, and the obligation to carry announcements made on behalf of An Coimisiún Toghcháin (the Electoral Commission).

The Guidelines also encourage broadcasters to include a range of voices and opinions in their coverage, including a mix of views representing social, gender and cultural diversity. As with previous guidelines, a moratorium on coverage will come into effect from 2pm on the day prior to voting and will end following the closure of polling stations on the day of the ballot.

Speaking about the publication of the Guidelines, Broadcasting Commissioner, Celene Craig said: “During the course of the referendum campaigns and right up to the closing of the polls on March 8th, broadcasters must ensure that coverage of the referendums is fair and equitable to all interests. The Guidelines published today include a strong emphasis on how fairness, objectivity and impartiality can be achieved, and how this is broader than a consideration of airtime for campaign groups.

“Coimisiún na Meán is keen to emphasise that this does not include a requirement for artificial balance. The Guidelines also emphasise that audiences may be better served by an approach to coverage that is not purely adversarial, and which places an emphasis on the issues in a referendum.”

• The Guidelines in Respect of Coverage of Referendums are available for download here .
• The Code of Fairness, Objectivity and Impartiality is available to download here.

The latest JNLR/Ipsos MRBI report into radio listening is published today (08.02.24).

On behalf of the JNLR Committee, a media release and summary information tables are available to download here.

ENDS

Please note:

Media queries regarding individual programme or station performance should be directed to IPSOS MRBI or the relevant broadcaster.

Safer Internet Day takes place every February to raise awareness of a safer and better internet for all, and especially for children and young people. 

February 6^th 2024 is the 21^st anniversary of Safer Internet Day, and the first Safer Internet Day since the establishment of Coimisiún na Meán and the appointment of Ireland’s first Online Safety Commissioner, Niamh Hodnett. This year, Coimisiún na Meán is supporting Webwise’s campaign on the theme of ‘Tech in our world’, exploring young people’s views on the role of technology in their lives, recent changes and tech developments and changes young people want to see. 

Online Safety Commissioner Niamh Hodnett said:  

“I am delighted to support this year’s Safer Internet Day, which is a great opportunity to reflect on the work being done around the world to create a safer online world, particularly for children. We at Coimisiún na Meán are ready to play our part through the implementation of our Online Safety Framework, as part of the Global Online Safety Regulators Network and with our counterparts in other Member States of the EU through the European Digital Services Board and the European Regulators Group for Audiovisual Media. Since I started my role in March last year, I have heard from a wide range of groups representing children and young people, including our own Youth Advisory Committee, and we look forward to making a positive impact for them.” 

Coimisiún na Meán is putting its Online Safety Framework into action in 2024. This will bring an end to the era of self-regulation and make online platforms accountable for how they keep their users, especially children, safe online.  Different pieces of legislation will come together to form this overall online safety framework: 

• The Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022, the basis for An Coimisiún’s Online Safety Code 
• The EU Audiovisual Media Services Directive 
• The EU Digital Services Act (fully applicable from February 17th 2024) 
• The EU Terrorist Content Online Regulation 

Coimisiún na Meán also continues to support Media Literacy Ireland and the Be Media Smart Campaign, to ensure that everyone in Ireland has the skills and confidence to access information online, to understand how digital services work and to manage the risks that people can face online. 

Safer Internet Day in Ireland is coordinated by the Irish Safer Internet Centre, a partnership between Webwise, ISPCC, National Parents Council Primary and Hotline.ie, providing a range of complementary online safety services, including an education and awareness centre, child and parent helplines and a hotline. The Centre is coordinated by the Department of Justice and co-funded by the European Union. 

After more than thirty years in media regulation, Celene Craig has decided not to seek a full five-year term as Broadcasting and Video-on-Demand Commissioner when her current term expires in March this year.

Celene, formerly the CEO of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, was appointed as Broadcasting and Video-on-Demand Commissioner for an initial one-year term by Minister Catherine Martin when Coimisiún na Meán was established in March 2023, under the provisions of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022. 

Celene’s term as Commissioner ends on March 15^th 2024. The role of Broadcasting and Video-on-Demand Commissioner is now being advertised by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. The recruitment process is run by the Public Appointments Service. Any further queries on the process should be directed to the Department or the Public Appointments Service. 

Jeremy Godfrey, Executive Chair at Coimisiún na Meán said: 

“Celene has been a stalwart of media regulation in Ireland for more than thirty years. Over her career, she has made a significant contribution to legislative and policy developments in the sector in Ireland and Europe. During the past year, she has been generous in sharing her unrivalled knowledge of the media landscape as we have made the transition from the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland into Coimisiún na Meán. Her warm, collegial nature will be sorely missed by the other Commissioners and myself, as well as by all our colleagues at Coimisiún na Meán. We all wish her well for the future.” 

Celene Craig, Broadcasting and Video-on-Demand Commissioner, said:  

“After a hugely enjoyable career at Coimisiún na Meán, the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI), Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) and the Independent Radio and Television Commission (IRTC), I have decided to step back from the role of Broadcasting and Video-on-Demand Commissioner. It has been a privilege to work at the cutting edge of the transforming media sector at both Irish and European levels.  In recent years, it has been particularly rewarding to contribute to shaping the new Irish online safety regulatory framework and in leading the BAI into the new regulatory body.  It has been a privilege to participate with my fellow commissioners and colleagues in establishing and operationalising Coimisiún na Meán in its first exciting year of establishment.  I commend their professionalism, dedication, and commitment to the tasks at hand wish them well in their future work. I look forward to seeing An Coimisiún continuing to grow and develop in the years ahead and in delivering a diverse, thriving and safe media landscape.”  

ENDS

Coimisiún na Meán, Ireland’s new body for regulating broadcasters, on-demand services, and online media, and supporting media development, has today (09.01.24) published details of the designation of ten services as named video-sharing platform services.  

The designation process for these services was completed during December 2023. 

The designated services are: 

• Facebook 
• Instagram 
• YouTube 
• Udemy 
• TikTok 
• LinkedIn 
• X 
• Pinterest 
• Tumblr 

• Reddit 

The draft Online Safety Code, which is currently subject to public consultation, can be applied to these services. The finalised Code will form part of Ireland’s overall online safety framework. This framework will make a range of online services legally accountable for how they keep people safe online. This framework is based on the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022, the EU Digital Services Act and the EU Terrorist Content Online Regulation. 

ENDS 

Media contact: Joanne Ahern / Síona Cahill, DHR Communications, Tel: 087-9881837 / 087 -7530255 

All other queries: Coimisiún na Meán, 01-6441200. 

About Coimisiún na Meán: 

Coimisiún na Meán is Ireland’s new commission for regulating broadcasters, on-demand services and online media, and supporting media development. Established in March 2023 under the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022, it builds on the work of its predecessor, the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland. It is responsible for ensuring and maintaining a thriving and diverse media landscape in Ireland that facilitates a mix of voices, opinions and sources of news and current affairs, as well as a safe online environment. 

Its responsibilities are to: 

• Oversee the funding of and support the development of the wider media sector in Ireland. 
• Oversee the regulation of broadcasting and video-on-demand services. 
• Develop and enforce the Irish regulatory regime for online safety. 

About Designation: 

Under the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022, Coimisiún na Meán is responsible for regulating video-sharing platforms which have their EU base in Ireland.  

By law, Coimisiún na Meán is required to designate video-sharing platform services, the provider of which is under the jurisdiction of the State, as a category of services to which an online safety code may be applied. Notice of this designation was published on 14 August 2023 and the designation took effect on 11 September 2023. Coimisiún na Meán must also designate as a named service any relevant online service that appears to be a VSPS where the provider of the service is under the jurisdiction of the State.  

Groups representing children and young people to provide input into draft Online Safety Code consultation

Coimisiún na Meán, Ireland’s new body for regulating broadcasters, on-demand services, and online media, and supporting media development, has today (19.12.23) held the first meeting of its new Youth Advisory Committee.

The Committee has been established to assist and advise Coimisiún na Meán in relation to its online safety functions and other matters. It currently comprises representatives from nine national youth groups and nine individual young people under 25 years of age. An Coimisiún will be consulting with the Committee on the draft Online Safety Code and related guidance materials, which were released for public consultation on 8^th December last. The draft Code sets out specific measures that video-sharing platforms will be obliged to implement to keep their users, especially children, safe online. This includes protecting children from harmful content, such as cyberbullying; online content that promotes or encourages a feeding or eating disorder; online content that promotes or encourages self-harm or suicide, as well as illegal content such as incitement to hatred or violence, child sex abuse material and non-consensual intimate image-sharing.

Commenting, Online Safety Commissioner, Niamh Hodnett said: “Our online safety framework will hold online services accountable for how they protect their users. Being online can bring huge benefits to young people, but they can also encounter a wide range of harmful content or behaviour.

“In putting in place online safeguards for children and young people, it’s important to hear their experiences online and their views on what we are proposing. It is vital that we hear directly from digital natives to ensure that the measures we put in place under our first Online Safety Code actually help to create a safer online environment for children and young people. We look forward to engaging with the Youth Advisory Committee and to getting their input in these important rules.”

In establishing the Youth Advisory Committee, Coimisiún na Meán invited organisations representing children and young people under 25 years of age to nominate a representative  and a youth member to join the Committee. The organisations that have been invited to the inaugural Committee are:

• BeLong To
• Children’s Rights Alliance
• CyberSafeKids
• Irish Traveller Movement
• ISPCC
• National Parents Council
• National Youth Council of Ireland
• spunout
• Webwise

Ms Hodnett added: “In establishing the inaugural youth advisory committee, we wanted to capture the views and experiences of a wide range of children and young people. We are delighted with the representative group we now have. We are always open to hearing from other organisations representing young people that would be interested in joining the Committee and contributing to its work.”

The Committee will meet again in January, to discuss the draft online Safety Code and draft Guidance Materials.

ENDS

Media contact: Joanne Ahern, DHR Communications, Tel: 087-9881837, Email: media.cnam@dhr.ie.

All other queries: Coimisiún na Meán, 01-6441200.

About Coimisiún na Meán:

Coimisiún na Meán is Ireland’s new commission for regulating broadcasters, on-demand services and online media, and supporting media development. Established in March 2023 under the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022, it builds on the work of its predecessor, the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland. It is responsible for ensuring and maintaining a thriving and diverse media landscape in Ireland that facilitates a mix of voices, opinions and sources of news and current affairs, as well as a safe online environment.

Its responsibilities are to:

• Oversee the funding of and support the development of the wider media sector in Ireland.
• Oversee the regulation of broadcasting and video-on-demand services.
• Develop and enforce the Irish regulatory regime for online safety.

About the Youth Advisory Committee

Section 19 of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022 provides that Coimisiún na Meán must establish a Youth Advisory Committee within one year of establishment. The Committee includes representatives from organisations representing children or people of not more than 25 years of age, nominated at the invitation of An Coimisiún. At least half of the members of the Youth Advisory Committee must be 25 years of age or younger.

Coimisiún na Meán is aware that the European Commission has initiated formal proceedings against X for possible breaches of the Digital Services Act (DSA). Coimisiún na Meán will provide assistance to the European Commission in this investigation.

Coimisiún na Meán will enforce the DSA in Ireland from February 17^th 2024, when the legislation becomes fully applicable and An Coimisiún’s formal powers as Ireland’s Digital Services Coordinator commence. An Coimisiún’s enforcement of the DSA will form part of Ireland’s overall online safety framework, alongside the draft Online Safety Code, which is out for consultation and the EU Terrorist Content Online Regulation.

Under the DSA, the responsibility for supervising Very Large Online Platforms and Search Engines is shared between the European Commission and the regulator of the EU Member State where the service has its EU headquarters. Thirteen out of the nineteen Very Large Online Platforms and Search Engines designated so far, including X, have their EU headquarters in Ireland. Coimisiún na Meán is working closely with the European Commission and other European regulators to prepare for the DSA.

ENDS

Media contact: Joanne Ahern, DHR Communications, Tel: 087-9881837, Email: media.cnam@dhr.ie.

All other queries: Coimisiún na Meán, 01-6441200.

About Coimisiún na Meán:

Coimisiún na Meán is Ireland’s new commission for regulating broadcasters, on-demand services and online media, and supporting media development. Established in March 2023 under the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022, it builds on the work of its predecessor, the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland. It is responsible for ensuring and maintaining a thriving and diverse media landscape in Ireland that facilitates a mix of voices, opinions and sources of news and current affairs, as well as a safe online environment.

Its responsibilities are to:

• Oversee the funding of and support the development of the wider media sector in Ireland.
• Oversee the regulation of broadcasting and video-on-demand services.
• Develop and enforce the Irish regulatory regime for online safety.

As soon as Coimisiún na Meán became aware of the horiffic stabbing incident in Dublin last Thursday, we contacted large platforms to alert them to the incident and raise concerns about the spread of violent imagery and the incitement of hatred and violence online.

On Friday, along with the European Commission, we met with these platforms to get information on how they had responded to the incident. We have continued to speak to the platforms this week. The platforms have shared information about the speed and efficacy of their response, including some broad data on content removals.

The platforms indicated that they responded quickly to the spread of illegal content on their services. However we remain concerned about the spread of misinformation and disinformation online, and its real-world impacts. We expect the platforms to remain vigilant to any use of their service that could lead to hatred or violence and report any evidence of criminal activity to An Garda Síochána.

We remind people to be aware of the risks of disinformation and misinformation online, and to Stop, Think and Check before sharing content with others.

We are following up with the platforms to learn more about their policies and processes for dealing with disinformation and misinformation, so that once our powers are fully in place from February 17^th 2024, we can work effectively with the European Commission to keep people safe online.

ENDS

Following yesterday’s violent events in Dublin, Coimisiún na Meán has held meetings with platforms today together with the European Commission to get more information about how they have responded to the incidents that unfolded online and offline.

Yesterday afternoon, Coimisiún na Meán alerted the platforms to our concerns about the possibility of graphic images and videos being shared, and about the incident being used as a reason to incite violence and hatred, following news of the stabbing incident. The platforms informed us that they had activated their incident response mechanisms.

A feature of the rioting last night was the use of messaging and online platforms to spread hatred, to incite violence and crime, as well as to spread disinformation. Coimisiún na Méan calls on all platforms based in Ireland to limit the spread of such content and take steps not to amplify it. We also encourage them to work with An Garda Síochána in identifying persons using their platforms to spread hatred and incite crime. We encourage any organisations which have evidence of this type of content being disseminated online to bring it to the attention of An Garda Síochána.

We remain concerned about the spread of videos or imagery showing graphic violence, speech inciting hatred or violence, and the spread of disinformation and misinformation. We plan to meet with the platforms again in the coming days to receive further updates on how the platforms are responding to these events.

Under the EU Digital Services Act, Very Large Online Platforms are obliged to assess and mitigate a series of risks from the use of their services, including negative effects for public security. They are also obliged to notify law enforcement authorities if they become aware of information about an actual or potential criminal offence involving public safety.

Coimisiún na Meán emphasises in the strongest possible terms that online services should act responsibly and do their utmost to prevent their services being used to exacerbate the current situation.

We also alert the general public to be alert to misinformation and disinformation circulating online. We urge them to rely on reputable sources of information and to Stop, Think and Check when reading information and especially before sharing it.

ENDS

Media contact: Joanne Ahern, DHR Communications, Tel: 087-9881837

All other queries: Coimisiún na Meán, 01-6441200.

Notes for Editors:

About Coimisiún na Meán:

Coimisiún na Meán is Ireland’s new commission for regulating broadcasters, on-demand services, and online media, and supporting media development. Established in March 2023 under the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022, it builds on the work of its predecessor, the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland. It is responsible for ensuring and maintaining a thriving and diverse media landscape in Ireland that facilitates a mix of voices, opinions and sources of news and current affairs, as well as a safe online environment.

Its responsibilities are to:

• Oversee the funding of and support the development of the wider media sector in Ireland.
• Oversee the regulation of broadcasting and video-on-demand services.
• Develop and enforce the Irish regulatory regime for online safety.

Advice about misinformation and disinformation can be found at https://www.bemediasmart.ie/