Ireland’s media regulator, Coimisiún na Meán, has opened a formal investigation into X over concerns that children may be accessing age-inappropriate content on the platform.
The probe will examine X’s age-assurance mechanisms and the effectiveness of its parental controls, with particular attention on whether the platform is adequately restricting children’s access to adult-only video content, including pornography and material depicting extreme or gratuitous violence.
Under Ireland’s Online Safety Code, platforms within the regulator’s remit are required to implement effective age-assurance measures to prevent children from accessing such content. Coimisiún na Meán has raised concerns over whether relying on users to self-declare their age is sufficient to meet these requirements.
The investigation will also assess X’s parental-control features. The regulator will examine whether the controls are effective, whether they meet the minimum requirements under the code, how easily users can find them and whether new users are made aware of the controls when setting up an account.
The probe is the first formal investigation launched under Ireland’s Online Safety Code, giving Coimisiún na Meán enforcement powers over online services covered by the framework. The regulator can impose significant financial penalties for non-compliance, with fines of up to 10% of relevant annual turnover.
X had not immediately responded to requests for comment. The platform has previously said it uses a multi-layered approach to age assurance, combining multiple signals to determine whether a user is under or over 18.
The Irish investigation will now determine whether X’s age-assurance systems and parental controls meet the requirements set out under Ireland’s online safety framework.
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