Ireland: Implemented Online Safety Code including age verification requirement

On 18 November 2024, the Irish Media Commission implemented general provisions of the Online Safety Code for video-sharing platform services, which include the use of age verification to protect minors from harmful content. The Code implements Article 28b of the EU Audiovisual Media Services Directive 2018 and includes provisions implementing the European Union (EU) Digital Services Act and the EU Terrorist Content Online Regulation. The provisions aim to to protect minors from content that the regulator deems may impair their physical, mental or moral development, and to protect the general public from content which incites hatred or violence, is racist and xenophobic, contains child sexual abuse material or terrorism. Platforms would be required to implement age verification technology and provide tools for parents to control children's online content exposure. Further, platforms have to provide functionality for users who upload content to declare whether videos contain audiovisual commercial communications.