Ireland: Adopted Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022 including the establishment of a Media Commission

On 30 November 2022, the Dáil Éireann (lower house of the Irish Parliament) adopted the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022. The Bill would transpose the Audiovisual Media Services Directive into Irish law and create a new agency, the Media Commission. The Media Commission will replace the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland and will be in charge of the new regulatory framework introduced as part of the Bill with the goal of improving online safety. Furthermore, the Media Commission would be the agency implementing the content moderation obligations for platforms outlined in the Digital Services Act. The Media Commission will be responsible for implementing online safety provisions, creating Online Safety Codes for "designated" service providers, and establishing a system for nominated organizations to report concerns about online service providers. The Media Commission will have the ability to investigative and impose penalties of up to EUR 20 million or 10% of the entity's turnover in the financial year prior to the decision's date, and restrict or compel service providers to restrict access to certain internet services or audio-visual on-demand media services.