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Coimisiún na Meán has published its new draft code and rules for regulating video-on-demand services, part of which will require service providers to restrict “anything which may reasonably be regarded as likely to incite to violence or hatred” towards particular groups of people or members of those groups.
It also includes measures to prevent children from accessing inappropriate pornographic or violent content.
A variety of ‘harmful content’ is set to be restricted, including anything which may be reasonably regarded as provocation to commit a terrorist offence.
Similarly, anything which could be viewed as likely to incite to violence or hatred directed against a group of persons, or a member of a group, based on the grounds of “sex, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age, or sexual orientation”.
Providers must also take appropriate measures to ensure that content containing pornography or gratuitous violence will not be shown to children.
Measures would include on-screen warnings at the beginning of programmes for such content which may be considered harmful to children, as well as ensuring provision for parental controls and age assurance.
Coimisiún na Meán defines ‘on-demand’ as a media service that provides for the viewing of programmes at the moment chosen by the user and upon request on the basis of a catalogue of programmes selected by the media service provider.
There would be obligations on service providers to make their programming accessible to people with disabilities over time.
“Once finalised, our new Code and Rules will for the first time allow for the statutory regulation of video on-demand service providers based in Ireland,” Coimisiún na Meán Media Development Commissioner, Rónán Ó Domhnaill, said.
“The Code will help efforts to ensure that people across Ireland can watch entertaining, informative and engaging programming on-demand, while ensuring that children do not access age-inappropriate programming.
“The Rules will ensure that every step is taken to ensure that programmes are accessible for people with disabilities and will oblige every audiovisual on-demand media service provider based in Ireland to establish an Accessibility Action Plan,” he said.
The draft code and rules are currently open for public consultation and the closing date for submissions is 6 August.
Once finalised, Coimisiún na Meán will apply the code and rules to video-on-demand service providers with EU headquarters in Ireland.
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