Irish media regulator opens formal investigation into X over child access

FILE PHOTO: Teenagers pose for a photo while holding smartphones in front of a X logo in this illustration taken September 11, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

DUBLIN, Sept 8 (Reuters) - ⁠Ireland's media regulator has begun ⁠a formal investigation into social media ‌platform X over compliance with provisions on age assurance and parental controls, it said on ​Tuesday.

The regulator, Coimisiún na ⁠Meán, has the ⁠power to apply a fine of up to ⁠10% ‌of relevant annual turnover under Ireland's Online Safety Code.

Under ⁠the code, age assurance is required ​to ensure ‌that children do not see videos "depicting ⁠pornography or ​extreme/gross and gratuitous violence or acts of cruelty," the regulator said in ⁠a statement announcing the investigation.

It ​said concerns had arisen in relation to the "potential ineffective implementation of age assurance ⁠mechanisms by X," adding that age assurance based solely on self-declaration is not considered effective.

"A concern exists that the ​parental controls put in ⁠place by X may not be ​effective, do not have ‌minimum requirements, are hard ​to locate," it added.

(Writing by Conor Humphries; editing by William James)

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资料照片：这张插图拍摄于2025年9月11日，图中一群青少年手持智能手机，在X标志前合影。路透社/Dado Ruvic/插图/资料照片

都柏林，9 月 8 日（路透社）——爱尔兰媒体监管机构周二表示，已开始对社交媒体平台 X 展开正式调查，以查明其是否遵守有关年龄保证和家长控制的规定。

根据爱尔兰网络安全法，监管机构 Coimisiún na ⁠Meán 有权对相关年度营业额处以最高 ⁠10% 的罚款。

监管机构在一份宣布展开调查的声明中表示，根据该法规，必须进行年龄保证，以确保儿童不会看到“描绘色情内容或极端/粗俗和无端暴力或残忍行为”的视频。

报告称，有人担心“X公司实施年龄保证机制可能无效”，并补充说，仅基于自我声明的年龄保证被认为是无效的。

报告还补充道：“令人担忧的是，X 设置的家长控制功能可能无效，没有最低要求，而且很难找到。”

（康纳·汉弗莱斯撰稿；威廉·詹姆斯编辑）

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