IrelandProtection of Children (Online Age Verification) Bill 2026
Protection of Children (Online Age Verification) Bill 2026 (Bill 77 of 2026)
In committee, dated , as of .
An adult content age verification (AV) rule binding private bodies.
As of .
Where it has got to
The text described here is Bill 77 of 2026, as initiated. That print is b7726s, published .
Locally, this stage is Seanad Third Stage (Committee Stage).
The stage above is recorded at www.oireachtas.ie.
Private members' bill originating in Seanad Éireann. The bill page lists no stage after Seanad Third Stage.
What it requires
- A website controller that facilitates or permits the publication of pornographic content on the internet must ensure that the content cannot be accessed by any person in the State who has not attained the age of majority, and before enabling a person in the State to access it must require the person to fulfil age verification requirements.
- An application store service that facilitates or permits an application whose purpose is to provide pornographic content must ensure that the application cannot be accessed by such a person, and before enabling access to the application must require the person to fulfil age verification requirements.
- A provider of an online service that facilitates the creation or generation of pornographic content, including by artificial intelligence, must ensure that the service cannot be accessed by such a person, and before enabling access must require the person to fulfil age verification requirements.
- Accept only documents of a class the Minister prescribes as adequate to verify age; use of a credit card in the name of a citizen or resident of the State who is over 18 satisfies the requirement for that content in legal proceedings.
- If you rely on a relevant third party to conduct age verification, do so only under a contract providing for that service; you remain liable for any failure to apply the measure.
- Store the data collected and retained for age verification securely for a period of 5 years, using technical and organisational measures that provide a level of security appropriate to the harm that might result from accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration or unauthorised disclosure of, or access to, the data.
- A party to a contract with a relevant third party may seek access to age verification data only where the processing is necessary for legal advice, legal claims or proceedings, or for establishing, exercising or defending legal rights or demonstrating compliance with legal requirements.
If you get it wrong
Criminal exposureYes
Criminal exposure note
Section 5(1) makes contravention of section 2(1), (2) or (3), section 3(1), (2) or (3), or section 4(3) or (4) an offence. On summary conviction the penalty is a class A fine or imprisonment for a term not exceeding twelve months; on conviction on indictment it is a fine of up to €500,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years, or both.
Penalty structure
Section 5(5)(b): the maximum fine on conviction on indictment. Imprisonment of up to ten years may be imposed instead of, or as well as, the fine.
- Rule
- Fixed only
- As of
- Currency
- EUR
- Fixed cap
- 500,000
Who enforces it
Enforcement body
The bill designates no regulator; it creates offences in section 5 and gives the Minister for Arts, Culture, Communications, Media and Sport power to prescribe documents and relevant third parties.
What it reaches
Covered services
Websites that make pornographic content available, application store services that distribute an application whose purpose is to provide pornographic content, and online services that facilitate the creation or generation of pornographic content, including by artificial intelligence, as they reach persons in the State.
Obligation class
Age verification, Retention, Security
Verification methods
Transactional data, Third party service
What this law does
The Seanad private members' bill would require a website controller that facilitates or permits the publication of pornographic content on the internet to ensure that the content cannot be accessed by any person in the State who has not attained the age of majority. An application store service that facilitates or permits an application whose purpose is to provide pornographic content would have to ensure that the application cannot be accessed by such a person.
A provider of an online service that facilitates the creation or generation of pornographic content, including by artificial intelligence, would have to ensure that the service cannot be accessed by such a person. Before enabling a person in the State to access the content, the website controller would have to require the person to fulfil age verification requirements. The Minister would prescribe a class of documents that is adequate to verify the age of each website user.
Use of a credit card owned by and in the name of a citizen or resident of the State who is over 18 would be held in legal proceedings to satisfy the age verification requirement for that content. A website controller, application store service or other covered provider could rely on a relevant third party to conduct age verification only if there is a contract providing for that service.
The covered provider that relies on a relevant third party would remain liable for any failure to apply the measure. Data collected and retained for age verification would have to be securely stored for a period of 5 years. A contravention of the access duties, the age verification duties or the data duties would be an offence. On summary conviction the penalty would be a class A fine or imprisonment for a term not exceeding twelve months.
On conviction on indictment the penalty would be a fine of up to €500,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years, or both. It would be a defence to prove that access was subject to an age verification requirement that was fit for purpose and that a person under the age of majority got in because another person helped them circumvent the process.
It would also be a defence to prove that the defendant was unaware, and had no means of being aware, that access was being sought by a person within the State. The bill would come into operation on a date that is 6 months after the date of its passing. Senator Rónán Mullen and eight other Senators introduced the bill in Seanad Éireann on . The Oireachtas page for the bill records it as currently before Seanad Éireann at Third Stage, dated .
When LexLint raises it
When your app profile says your app publishes adult content.