Investigation commenced into X under Online Safety Code

Coimisiún na Meán news · 2026-09-08 · IE · verified record

Themes: Child safety & minors · Online platforms

Ecosystems: Ireland — Online Safety Code

Coimisiún na Meán’s Investigations team has today (08.09.2026) commenced the first formal investigation under Ireland’s Online Safety Code, into the provider of the X online platform (X). Following reviews by An Coimisiún’s Platform Supervision team concerns arose in relation to the potential ineffective implementation of age assurance mechanisms by X. Under the Online Safety Code, age assurance is required on the X platform to ensure that children do not see videos depicting pornography or extreme/gross and gratuitous violence or acts of cruelty on the platform. Separately, as the X platform allows adult-only content and also allows children under the age of 16 to use its service, it is required by the Online Safety Code to provide parental control systems to ensure that parents and guardians have control over what type of content their children encounter. A concern exists that the parental controls put in place by X may not be effective, do not have minimum requirements, are hard to locate and are not brought to the attention of new users at sign-up stage, as required by the Code. The investigation will examine: - Whether there are effective age assurance measures in place by X, to ensure that adult-only video content cannot normally be seen by children. Age assurance based solely on self-declaration is not considered effective – Section 12(10) of the Online Safety Code. - Whether the parental control systems put in place by X are under the control of the end-user with respect to video content that may impair the physical, mental or moral development of children – Section 14(1) of the Online Safety Code. - Whether the parental control systems put in place by X have the minimum functions required under the Code – Section 14(2) of the Online Safety Code. - Whether X appropriately draws the attention of users to the parental control systems they make available – Section 14(4) of the Online Safety Code. - Whether X ensures that their parental control systems are provided as an option to new users on account sign-up – Section 14(5) of the Online Safety Code. John Evans, Digital Services Commissioner at Coimisiún na Meán said: ‘’Children have a fundamental right to participate in society, which includes the digital world, and to be protected from harm, abuse and exploitation online.…