Ireland — Online Safety Code — the verified record, live

Ireland's Online Safety Code is the binding rulebook adopted by Coimisiún na Meán under the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022, applying to video-sharing platform services established in Ireland — a category that, through the country-of-origin principle, covers many of the largest platforms serving the whole EU, including services run by Meta, Google, TikTok and X. Adopted in October 2024, the Code applies in two layers: general obligations that took effect from November 2024, and detailed provisions — including requirements for effective age assurance where platforms permit pornography or gratuitous violence, controls on harmful content categories, and parental control and complaint mechanisms — that became applicable in July 2025 after an implementation period. The Code sits alongside the DSA, under which An Coimisiún is also Ireland's Digital Services Coordinator, making Dublin an outsized venue for European platform regulation. Non-compliance exposes platforms to investigations and sanctions up to €20 million or 10% of turnover, and early supervision has focused on age assurance and recommender-related harms.

Every document below comes from the body that published it — regulators, courts, parliaments, official registers — with its true publication date and a link to the primary source.

as of 2026-08-31 · refreshed from scheduled releases

Latest developments

Publishing bodies represented

Frequently asked

Who does the Irish Online Safety Code apply to?

Video-sharing platform services whose EU establishment is in Ireland and which Coimisiún na Meán has designated — a list that includes the major services of Meta, Google, TikTok, X and others. Because of the EU country-of-origin principle for audiovisual regulation, the Code's requirements on these Irish-established platforms have effect for users across the European Union.

What does the Online Safety Code require on age assurance?

Platforms that permit pornography or gratuitous violence must implement effective age assurance to prevent children from encountering such content — self-declaration alone is not considered effective. The detailed provisions containing these requirements applied from July 2025 after an implementation period. Platforms must also provide age verification measures, parental controls and transparent complaint mechanisms proportionate to the risks their services present.

What are the penalties for breaching the Online Safety Code?

Under the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022, Coimisiún na Meán can investigate suspected breaches and seek financial sanctions of up to €20 million or 10% of relevant annual turnover, whichever is greater, with court confirmation. The regime also provides for compliance notices and, in serious cases, potential criminal liability of senior management for certain failures.

More: The Wire — this week across the record · all 38 ecosystems · analyst briefs on this regulation ↗