Message 001
Communication from the Commission - TRIS/(2022) 01942
Directive (EU) 2015/1535
Notificación - Oznámení - Notifikation - Notifizierung - Teavitamine - Γνωστοποίηση - Notification - Notification - Notifica - Pieteikums - Pranešimas - Bejelentés - Notifika - Kennisgeving - Zawiadomienie - Notificação - Hlásenie-Obvestilo - Ilmoitus - Anmälan - Нотификация : 2022/0376/IRL - Notificare.
No abre el plazo - Nezahajuje odklady - Fristerne indledes ikke - Kein Fristbeginn - Viivituste perioodi ei avata - Καμμία έναρξη προθεσμίας - Does not open the delays - N'ouvre pas de délais - Non fa decorrere la mora - Neietekmē atlikšanu - Atidėjimai nepradedami - Nem nyitja meg a késéseket - Ma’ jiftaħx il-perijodi ta’ dawmien - Geen termijnbegin - Nie otwiera opóźnień - Não inicia o prazo - Neotvorí oneskorenia - Ne uvaja zamud - Määräaika ei ala tästä - Inleder ingen frist - Не се предвижда период на прекъсване - Nu deschide perioadele de stagnare - Nu deschide perioadele de stagnare.
(MSG: 202201942.EN)
1. MSG 001 IND 2022 0376 IRL EN 30-05-2022 IRL NOTIF
2. IRL
3A. National Standards Authority of Ireland
1 Swift Square, Northwood, Santry
Dublin 9 D09 A0E4
Ireland
Tel: 00 353 (0)1 807 3824
Email: EUDirective2015.1535@nsai.ie
3B. Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Custom House
Dublin 1
D01 W6X0
Ireland
Contact Person: Paris Beausang
Email: paris.beausang@housing.gov.ie
Tel: 00 353 (0)1 888 2321
4. 2022/0376/IRL - B00
5. Electoral Reform Bill 2022 (Draft Heads of Bill - new Part 4A)
6. Information society services, i.e. the draft legislative proposals set out in the new Part 4A to the Electoral Reform Bill 2022 will place obligations on online platforms with regard to the reporting of possible disinformation, misinformation or manipulative / inauthentic behaviour in the online sphere to the Electoral Commission prior to the beginning of an electoral period, to put in place a notification mechanism for users to report possible disinformation relating to online electoral information and misinformation relating to online electoral process information and to comply with the requirements of any compliance notices that may issue from the Electoral Commission in connection with online misinformation, disinformation, manipulative / inauthentic behaviour and unlawful bot activity during electoral periods.
7. -
8. The draft legislative proposals set out in the new Part 4A of the Electoral Reform Bill 2022 are intended to protect the integrity of Ireland's elections against online misinformation, online disinformation and online inauthentic / manipulative behaviour.
Under the new Part 4A, the Electoral Commission, which is being established under Part 2 of the Bill, will be assigned additional monitoring and investigatory functions with regard to the dissemination of disinformation relating to online electoral information, misinformation relating to online electoral process information as well as functions to prevent manipulative or inauthentic behaviours online.
The Electoral Commission shall have additional powers of enforcement, through its authorised officers and its chief executive, to enable it to carry out its monitoring and investigatory functions effectively. In particular, during electoral periods, the chief executive will have power to issue to the operator or host of an online platform:
- a take-down notice;
- a correction notice;
- a labelling order;
- an access-blocking order; or
- a notice requiring the publication of a statement informing all affected end-users of any manipulative or inauthentic behaviour or the use of undisclosed bot activity.
In addition, the Electoral Commission will have a function to promote public awareness of online misinformation, disinformation and manipulative or inauthentic behaviour and it may establish, facilitate or promote educational or information programmes in pursuit of this function. A power to publish codes of conduct in consultation with an Advisory Board and a Stakeholder Council will also be assigned to the Electoral Commission.
Part 4A will impose an obligation on online platforms to report possible disinformation, misinformation or manipulative / inauthentic behaviour in the online sphere to the Electoral Commission at the beginning of an electoral period and will require online platforms to put in place a notiifcation mechanism for end-users to report possible disinformation relating to online electoral information and misinformation relating to online electoral process information.
The draft proposals provide for offences and penalties for a failure to comply with any of the proposed enforcement notices, for breach of mandatory codes of conduct, for breaches of the obligations on online platforms, for the dissemination of specified misinformation and disinformation and for using bots to cause multiple online presences directed towards influencing an election or referendum.
9. Informed decision-making is at the heart of our democratic processes and is crucial for the meaningful exercise of the right to vote. When voters are misinformed, they may choose a candidate or vote in favour of a constitutional change in violation of their true preferences. Behaviours that interfere with informed decision-making can remove accountability from electoral processes and undermine trust in free and fair elections.
While it is evident that there is a wider problem of the dissemination of false or misleading information more generally, the Irish authorities have looked at the problem solely insofar as it may distort the outcome of Irish elections and referendums. In broad terms, false or misleading information that may affect our electoral processes fall into two main groups, vis-à-vis, information about the issues, parties or candidates on which the electorate must vote and information about the electoral process itself.
Against this background, the draft legislative proposals set out in the new Part 4A to the Electoral Reform Bill 2022 propose to assign additional functions to the Electoral Commission, which is to be established under Part 2 of the Electoral Reform Bill 2022, with regard to the monitoring and investigation of possible disinformation relating to electoral information and misinformation relating to electoral process information being disseminated online as well as functions to prevent manipulative or inauthentic behaviours online.
10. References of the Basic Texts: Electoral Reform Bill 2022 (Draft Heads of Bill - new Part 4A)
Basic Texts have been forwarded within the framework of a previous notification: 2022/0184/IRL
11. No
12. -
13. No
14. No
15. -
16. TBT aspect
No - The draft is not a technical regulation nor a conformity assessment
No - The draft has no significant impact on international trade
SPS aspect
No - The draft has no significant impact on international trade
No - The draft is not a sanitary or phytosanitary measure
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European Commission
Contact point Directive (EU) 2015/1535
Fax: +32 229 98043
email: grow-dir2015-1535-central@ec.europa.eu
