X, formerly known as Twitter, is currently being investigated by Ireland’s media regulator, Coimisiún na Meán, for possible violations of online safety rules. The regulator is looking into whether X has properly followed guidelines related to age verification and parental control features on its platform. This is the first time the regulator has formally investigated X under Ireland’s Online Safety Code, a set of rules designed to ensure online platforms protect users, particularly children, from harmful content. The regulator expressed concerns that X may not be effectively preventing children from encountering inappropriate content, such as pornography or extreme violence. To help prevent this, the Online Safety Code requires platforms like X to verify users’ ages and offer parental controls. These tools allow parents to manage what content their children can access. However, the regulator has raised issues with X’s parental controls, saying they may not meet minimum standards, are hard to find, and are not clearly presented to new users when they sign up. John Evans, the digital services commissioner at Coimisiún na Meán, emphasized the importance of protecting children in the digital world. He said the regulator’s main goal in creating the Online Safety Code was to ensure children are safe from harmful or illegal content and that parents have better tools to guide their children’s online experiences. He added that the regulator aims to create a digital environment that supports children’s rights, wellbeing, and development. In addition to the investigation into X, Coimisiún na Meán has launched five other investigations into major platforms like TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram under the EU Digital Services Act. The regulator is also part of four joint investigations led by the European Commission, targeting platforms including TikTok, X, and Shein. If a platform is found to be in violation of the Online Safety Code, the regulator can impose financial penalties, with fines of up to 10% of the platform’s annual revenue or 20 million euros, whichever is higher.