Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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353. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the progress to date in ensuring that online platforms put in place appropriate and proportionate measures that provide a high level of privacy, safety, and security for minors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29559/26]

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Online safety is a key priority of mine and this Government is committed to ensuring a high level of privacy, safety and security for minors online. Indeed, online safety is a core pillar underpinning our new National Digital and AI Strategy 2030.

My Department leads on the Digital Services Act (DSA) which introduces obligations on providers of online intermediary services, including online social media platforms, to protect users and consumers of online services. The DSA is designed to provide better protection of fundamental rights; more control and choice over online experiences; stronger protection of children online; and expedited removal of illegal content. The regulation has applied in full since 17 February 2024.

Under Article 28 of the DSA, providers of online platforms that are accessible to minors are required to put in place appropriate measures to ensure a high level of privacy, safety and security of minors on their services. Specifically, the rules ban targeted advertising to minors based on profiling using the personal data of users of their services when they can establish with reasonable certainty that the recipient of the service is a minor.

In July 2025, the Commission published guidelines to assist providers of online platforms in the application of the protection of minors under the DSA to ensure a safe online experience for children and young people. These set out recommendations that online platforms need to follow to protect children and teens online including using age verification for accessing high-risk content.

The DSA requires all Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) to conduct a yearly assessment to identify potential systemic risks associated with the design of their recommender systems and any other relevant algorithmic system. This includes risks associated with the protection of minors. They must then put in place effective mitigation measures to address these systemic risks. To assist with enforcement of these obligations, the European Commission established the European Centre for Algorithmic Transparency (ECAT). The Centre provides technical expertise, scientific research, and foresight on emerging risks to support the Commission's exclusive supervisory and enforcement role of the systemic obligations on VLOPs/VLOSEs. This collaboration aims to enhance the transparency and accountability of algorithmic systems, thereby contributing to a safer and more trustworthy online environment for all users.

Last week, the European Commission announced its European age verification app will be soon available for citizens to use. The app will allow users to prove their age when accessing online platforms. Just like shops ask for proof of age for people buying alcoholic beverages in-store. In parallel, the Special panel established to advise the European Commission President on child safety online and potential age limits for social media and other online services in Europe is expected to deliver its recommendations by the summer. The perspectives of young people, children, parents and educators, as expressed in President von der Leyen's Youth Advisory Board () and the Safer Internet Forum 2025 (), will be a key part of the panel's discussions.

In April, the Taoiseach joined a call with other EU leaders to discuss national legal frameworks, technical developments around age verification, and perspectives for European action. There was strong political support from participating Member States for a European approach to this issue.

Ireland will use our upcoming Presidency of the European Union to advocate for greater online safety and the protection of women and children, in particular, from the misuse of digital tools. The Deputy can rest assured, that online safety is a priority for the Government and will continue to be a priority during our EU Presidency.