Children’s rights group calls for changes to online safety Bill

Children’s rights campaigners have called for major changes to the Government’s plans for new online safety legislation to ensure greater protection for young people.

The planned Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill has the potential to create a level of accountability that is sorely needed but “critical measures” are needed to ensure the legislation lives up to its name, according to the Children’s Rights Alliance.

The Bill envisages the appointment of an online safety commissioner and the creation of a new media commission with the power to fine non-compliant companies up to €20 million or 10 per cent of turnover. However, complaints can only be brought by nominated bodies and not by individuals.

The alliance is prioritising three key changes to the draft legislation, which was published last January, Emma Archbold, campaign lead of its campaign for greater online safety, told an online event attended by TDs and Senators of most of the main parties.

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The first is the naming of an online safety commissioner with appropriate, robust powers to hold online platforms fully accountable.

Second, the commissioner should have a specific remit to endorse education and community-awareness programmes on online safety, she said.

The alliance is also seeking a mechanism for handling individual complaints “so that children and young people have access to an effective and timely solution when they do experience issues online”.

Ms Archbold said the 18-member organisations are united behind the goal of ensuring children and young people can avail of all of the opportunities the online world presents but in such a way that this is as safe and as positive an experience as possible.

Children’s rights need to be as respected and protected in the online world as they are offline, she said.

“We are at a key moment to make this a reality. We are on the cusp of a growing global movement to end self-regulation of big tech and online platforms and ensure there is a standard of safety in place that is not simply adequate, but ambitious, to reduce the harms that young people experience online.”

Julie Ahern, head of legal at the Children’s Rights Alliance, called for Ireland to adopt the model of the Australian e-safety commissioner, who has the power to evaluate education programmes and who publishes a list of trusted online providers.

Labour leader Ivana Bacik said there needed to be a mechanism for dealing with individual complaints swiftly and civil law powers to require content platforms to take down offending material swiftly.

Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín said children were being exposed to hardcore pornography at a very early age. This can result in early sexualisation of children, distortion of relationships and sexual violence in later life.

Mobile phones should not be allowed in primary schools, he said, and people should not be able to hide behind anonymity online.

Sinn Féin TD Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire said it was important to remember the internet brought great benefit and was potentially a huge force for good. However, regulation needed to be strengthened so it could do its job adequately.