Legislators need to define 'harmful communication', Justice Committee told

Legislators need to define what “harmful communication” is before they try and address the problem in laws, a legal expert has said.

Dr TJ McIntyre said once this was done, the State could set up a Digital Safety Commissioner, one circumscribed by due process and an appeal system, to regulate the industry. But he told the Oireachtas Justice Committee that previous laws criminalising offences online had not been implemented due, in most part, to lack of Garda resources.