Empower: Online Safety

This is a plain text version of the Chapter 7 of the "Digital Ireland – Connecting our People, Securing our Future" report. Read the full report.

Online Safety is a priority for the Government, in particular the safety of vulnerable groups, such as children and young people. The Government is supporting Coimisiún na Meán to implement our Online Safety Framework to ensure designated online platforms meet their obligations. New challenges and risks will continue to emerge with the advent of AI, and the Government will ensure that these are addressed in a timely, robust and comprehensive manner.

We recognise the importance of supporting teachers, parents and families to talk about online safety, and develop the necessary awareness and skills to protect themselves. We will continue to build awareness of users’ rights on reporting inappropriate, harmful and illegal content and the role of Coimisiún na Meán. Online safety will be a priority for Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the EU in 2026, and we will ensure that voices of children are heard in developing online safety measures.

Specific measures outlined below include:

• Our commitment to supporting work on age verification solutions, working with EU Member States, and through the implementation of Ireland’s Government Digital Wallet.
• Our commitment to work actively with like-minded EU Member States to explore options to introduce age restrictions on the use of social media
• Advocate with the European Commission to ensure the list of prohibited practices under Article 5 of the EU AI Act remains fit for purpose in the context of growing capabilities of AI.
• Educational supports, including awareness and skills resources to support online safety in schools.