Online safety & content laws in Ireland (2026)

Yes. As an EU member, Ireland is covered by the EU Digital Services Act (Regulation (EU) 2022/2065), which applies directly.

Notice-and-action mechanisms for illegal content, transparency reporting, clear terms of service, and measures to protect minors.

The national Digital Services Coordinator, with the European Commission supervising very large online platforms and search engines.

Up to 6% of a provider's global annual turnover for serious breaches.

The Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022 was signed on 10 December 2022 and commenced 15 March 2023, dissolving the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland and establishing Coimisiún na Meán as Ireland's media and online safety regulator with powers to appoint authorised officers, demand information, and impose administrative financial sanctions.

Coimisiún na Meán adopted the finalised Online Safety Code on 21 October 2024; it fully entered into force on 21 July 2025 and binds the ten designated Ireland-headquartered video-sharing platforms (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Udemy, TikTok, LinkedIn, X, Pinterest, Tumblr, Reddit), requiring prohibitions on cyberbullying/self-harm/eating-disorder promotion, parental controls, and effective age assurance.

The Code mandates effective age assurance for VSPs hosting pornography or extreme/gratuitous violence; self-declaration is explicitly deemed non-effective. Acceptable methods include facial age estimation, ID document checks, or cognitive tests, with Coimisiún na Meán opening its first formal Code investigation into X on 8 September 2026 over suspected ineffective age-assurance mechanisms.

The Digital Services Act 2024 (Irish Act) was signed on 11 February 2024 with full enforcement from 17 February 2024, designating Coimisiún na Meán as Ireland's Digital Services Coordinator and lead competent authority, and the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) as competent authority for DSA Articles 30-32 (online marketplaces). Because many major platforms are Ireland-headquartered, this gives the Irish DSC an outsized EU role.

Under the EU TCOR (Regulation 2021/784) in force in Ireland, An Garda Síochána is the competent authority for issuing cross-border removal orders (hosting providers must comply within one hour), while Coimisiún na Meán (designated November 2023) determines 'exposure' under Article 5 and supervises/enforces non-compliance.

Coimisiún na Meán can impose administrative financial sanctions of up to €20 million or 10% of relevant turnover under the OSMR Act for Code breaches, with equivalent EU-level penalties available under the DSA. Senior managers can also be held individually accountable, marking the end of pure industry self-regulation.