AMENDMENTS ARE TO be made to include the issue of cyber-flashing in the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill. 

Minister Catherine Martin received government approval today for the tabling of amendments to the Online Safety and Media Regulation (OSMR) Bill. 

Under the amendments, the criminal offence of flashing will be included as a further category of offence-specific harmful online under the Bill. 

This relates to the criminal offence of flashing under the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017. 

The amendment will allow the Online Safety Commissioner to deal with cyber-flashing content through systemic regulations. 

Cyber-flashing is when someone sends an unsolicited sexual image to another device without their consent.

The overall purpose of the Online Safety Bill is to establish a Media Commission – to be known as Coimisiún na Meán – including an Online Safety Commissioner.

It would also dissolve the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, establish a regulatory framework for online safety, and update the regulation of television broadcasting and video on-demand services.

Among the other amendments brought before Cabinet is that the Coimisiún na Meán may make media services codes to promote gender balance on TV and radio current affairs programmes and promote the broadcasting of music composed or performed by women on radio services. 

This new media service code could include a requirement for stations to transparently show or publish their levels of gender balance for music or current affairs. 

However, the precise measures that will be set out in the code will be a matter for the Coimisiún na Meán.