President Higgins has signed the new Online Safety Bill into law.
It establishes a regulatory framework for online safety, and updates regulations for video on-demand.
This new legislation will tighten up the law regarding the posting of harmful content online.
It will hold designated online services to account for how they tackle the availability of some of the most serious forms of harmful online content.
The proposed Media Commissioner is also empowered under the Act to introduce an individual complaints mechanism on a phased basis, focusing initially on children and to order the removal or limitation of availability of specific items of harmful online content, either on foot of a complaint or on its own initiative.
Providers of video-on demand services will, as broadcasters currently are, be subject to binding codes and rules, including in relation to advertising, accessibility and impartiality in news and current affairs.
Media providers who breach the new rules faces fines of up to €20 million or 10% of turnover and may be subject to criminal prosecution.
