Editorial 2024-06

IRIS 2024-6:1/4

Amélie Lacourt

European Audiovisual Observatory

What is illegal offline is also illegal online… or so they say. It is also true that online activities present their own set of problems and require specific legislative intervention.

As a result, many countries in the European Union and beyond continue to work diligently on the regulation of cyberspace, and several legislative developments and decisions have been announced recently. As has been widely expected for some time, the Irish regulator has published an updated draft Online Safety Code and submitted it to the European Commission, slowly leading to full transposition of the AVMS Directive in all EU member states. In Spain, the Council of Ministers recently approved a bill on the protection of minors in the digital environment, which notably raises the minimum age for access to platforms from 14 to 16. Another example is France, where the law on the security and regulation of the digital space was promulgated in May. And at a more global level, both the Council of Europe and the EU finalised the long-awaited frameworks on artificial intelligence. 

What is illegal offline is also illegal online ... but enforcement offline is not the same as enforcement online. Given the amount of legislation created specifically for the online world in recent years, it remains to be seen how feasible its enforcement will be. Small examples are already emerging, such as the recent actions in Italy in relation to gambling advertising.Time will tell.

Otherwise, let me tell you that the Observatory has recently published two new legal (and free) reports online: "Media Literacy and the Empowerment of Users " and “Curtains Up on Regulation and Support Measures for the Cinema Exhibition Sector ”.

Enjoy the read!

 

Maja Cappello, Editor

European Audiovisual Observatory