Oireachtas committee recommends ban on tracking children's online data

The prohibition of any form of profiling or tracking of children's online data has been recommended by an Oireachtas committee. 

The Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and Media advised the change to the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill in a report published today. 

Cathaoirleach of the Committee, Deputy Niamh Smyth, called the Bill a piece of legislation with "immense scope" which will place Ireland among the first countries in the world to systemically regulate online platforms. 

She said, "We call for an individual complaints mechanism to be established for designated online platforms, for an Online Safety Commissioner to be explicitly included in the legislation, for designated online platforms to be required to provide data for public interest research, and for children’s navigation of online spaces to be protected so as not to render them vulnerable to data profiling or to harmful advertisements. 

"As the online environment has gradually become interwoven with the lives of all sections of the Irish population, the Committee has sought to understand how this legislation can best respect human rights while preserving the safety of every user. This work is now crucial to a democratic and pluralistic society." 

A total of thirty three recommendations were made in the report, including a moratorium on adverts promoting junk food and gambling to children.