Draft online safety bill 'vague' and 'lacks legal certainty', says human rights body

The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission said legal certainty on the definition of harmful content is important to ensure the legislation is 'proportionate and compatible' with rights including freedom of expression.

The definition of harmful content in a proposed law on online safety is “vague and open-ended, and lacks legal certainty”, the State’s national human rights institution has said.

The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) has expressed concern about several aspects of the draft Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill, which seeks to introduce a new system of regulation for defined categories of harmful online content.