Irish Internet Hotline

We’ve created a simple a2 poster for for schools, clubs, youth services, parent groups, and organisations working with children, young people, and families who may find it useful when talking about online safety and how to report harmful content. If you’d like a copy free of charge, just drop us an email at general.enquiries@hotline.ie We hope it’s a practical, helpful resource that can support the important conversations happening with children, young people, and families.

At Irish Internet Hotline we welcome the launch of the new Coco’s Law Lesson by An Garda Síochána, an important step in strengthening how we educate and protect young people online. This initiative brings the realities of online harm into the classroom, helping students understand that actions like sharing intimate images without consent or sending threatening messages are not just harmful, they are criminal offences. It also empowers young people to make informed, respectful choices and to seek help when they need it. At the Irish Internet Hotline, we strongly support this approach. Every day, we see the real-world impact of harmful online content, including the circulation of intimate images and child sexual abuse material. Education is one of the most powerful tools we have to prevent harm before it happens. When young people understand what illegal content looks like, why it is harmful, and how to respond, they are far better equipped to protect themselves and others. We also recognise the vital role of our partners in this space, including Webwise Ireland, whose ongoing work in digital media literacy and online safety education continues to make a meaningful difference for students, parents, and educators across Ireland. This is about more than awareness. It’s about responsibility, accountability, and creating a safer digital environment for everyone. We look forward to continuing our work with partners across Ireland to support education, reporting, and prevention efforts that keep children and young people safe online. https://lnkd.in/dMTd_2_R

Our CEO Mick Moran was very pleased to speak at an INEX - Internet Neutral Exchange event today about membership of Irish Internet Hotline and the role infrastructure organisations can play in supporting a safer internet. Trust in the internet depends in part on how the ecosystem responds to harm. Supporting recognised initiatives like Irish Internet Hotline helps strengthen that trust while contributing to a national reporting mechanism for illegal online content. Internet governance has always relied on cooperation between industry, civil society and public authorities, and hotlines are a good example of that model working in practice. Addressing online harm requires collective action across the internet community, and infrastructure organisations are an important part of that broader response. You can read more about our membership at hotline.ie/members

Nicole “Coco” Fox's story remains a powerful reminder of why action against online abuse matters. Nicole, whose nickname was Coco, died by suicide in January 2018 at the age of 21. Her family’s courage in speaking out led to the introduction of Coco’s Law (the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020), making online abuse, cyberbullying and intimate image abuse criminal offences in Ireland. Their advocacy has helped ensure that the serious harm caused by the non-consensual sharing of intimate images is recognised in law. Nearly 300 people are now facing criminal prosecution under Coco’s Law, demonstrating just how necessary these protections are and how important it is that victims have a legal pathway to justice. It's also encouraging to see discussions about strengthening the legislation further. As highlighted recently, the Government has indicated it is not opposed to amending Coco’s Law to address the illegal sharing of AI-generated intimate images which is an issue that is becoming increasingly urgent as technology evolves. At Irish Internet Hotline, we continue to see the devastating impact that intimate image abuse can have. Strong laws, awareness, and ongoing support for victims are all essential if we are to make online spaces safer for everyone. https://lnkd.in/dpiwzZen

Today marks International Women’s Day, a global moment to celebrate women's achievements and accelerate progress towards equality. It has been recognised by the United Nations since 1977. This year’s UN call "Rights. Justice. Action." is a reminder that at the current pace, it could take 286 years to close legal protection gaps for women and girls. Rights means ensuring women and girls are fully protected online and offline. Justice means holding those who abuse, exploit or harm women accountable. Action means actively dismantling harmful norms, discrimination and digital abuse in real time. For us at the Irish Internet Hotline, this means: • Working to remove harmful and illegal online content. • Supporting a safer digital space where women and girls are not targeted or silenced. • Challenging online abuse, exploitation and harmful practices that erode rights. • Turning awareness into concrete reporting, enforcement and prevention. We will keep challenging online harm and exploitation, because 286 years is not an option. #internationalwomensday #iwd2026

We were pleased to attend the launch of the Switched On digital citizenship programme at St Joseph’s NS in Bonnybrook this week. The new initiative from Webwise Ireland, supported by Coimisiún na Meán, will help 5th and 6th class pupils build the skills and confidence to be safe, responsible and active online. Great to hear from Online Safety Commissioner Niamh Hodnett and Minister Hildegarde Naughton T.D about the importance of supporting young people as they navigate the digital world. Switched On is now available for free to all primary schools throughout Ireland.

We’re encouraging those in our network to register for this upcoming event hosted by European Parliament Ireland as part of their series on Europe this March. At Irish Internet Hotline, we see every day how important collaboration and open conversation are when it comes to tackling illegal and harmful content online. Events like this are an excellent opportunity to connect with others who care about creating a safer digital environment and to learn from different perspectives across the sector. If you're working in tech, policy, education, safeguarding, digital wellbeing, or are just interested in the evolving nature of modern childhood, it’s well worth signing up. You can RSVP at events@gdsi.ie. https://lnkd.in/deu282Ti

Working at the Irish Internet Hotline, one of the most important and often misunderstood aspects of our role is disruption of the online circulation of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). People often assume illegal content exists in isolation. In reality, it exists within systems, platforms, recommendation engines, marketplaces, and increasingly AI tools that can unintentionally enable its discovery, distribution, and normalisation. Hotlines sit at a critical point in that ecosystem. Every report we assess is more than just a single image or URL. It is part of a wider intelligence picture. Patterns emerge: repeat platforms, emerging technologies, gaps in moderation controls, and shifts in how abuse material is being surfaced or shared. One of the most serious risks we face is not just the existence of CSAM, but its gradual normalisation through platform design and algorithmic exposure. When harmful material is recommended, surfaced, or allowed to persist, it can reinforce harmful behaviours, desensitise users, and contribute to environments where abuse is more easily facilitated or concealed. Effective moderation plays a central role in disrupting this cycle but moderation is only as strong as the systems behind it. Failures in risk assessment, detection, or safety design can allow harmful content to remain visible longer than it should. This is why hotline work matters. By identifying, verifying, and escalating illegal content, we help: • Remove harmful material from circulation • Support law enforcement investigations • Provide intelligence on systemic platform risks • Strengthen the overall online safety ecosystem Increasingly, this work intersects with emerging technologies like generative AI and recommender systems, which introduce new risks alongside new capabilities. Online safety is not just about removing content after the fact. It’s about identifying patterns, disrupting harmful ecosystems, and contributing to safer digital environments through coordinated moderation, reporting, and regulatory action. Hotlines are a small but essential part of that global effort. https://lnkd.in/epV_-AzU

Roses are red. Violets are blue. If they ask you for money… it's probably not true. In 2025, the number of reported "romance scams" doubled, and it is often noted that there is a sharp increase in these incidences around Valentine's Day. A romance scammer will typically create fake online profiles on dating apps or social media to target and create emotional bonds with their victims in order to extract money from them. It usually starts with "love bombing", or fast declarations of big feelings and pet names. They move fast. The messages are intense. The compliments are constant. Then come the excuses for not meeting - "I'm travelling for work", "I'm in the army and stationed abroad", or "I'm working in a submarine under the Atlantic for the next six months." Then comes their crisis. Usually a medical emergency, travel costs, or a business problem.  These stories are designed to trigger sympathy and create pressure. And finally then a request for money. Genuine relationships develop over time. Scammers, on the other hand, tend to rush things, normally declaring strong feelings early on and creating a false sense of closeness. If an online relationship feels intense very quickly and then turns into requests for money, that’s a serious red flag. The advice is simple: take your time when forming new connections online. Never send money to someone you haven’t met in person. Be cautious if someone avoids video calls or repeatedly makes excuses not to meet. Report users you don't know on social media platforms who ask you for money to the platform itself. If you come across suspicious content, or harmful material linked to scams, you can report it anonymously to the Irish Internet Hotline at Hotline.ie/report. While financial losses should be reported to your bank and An Garda Síochána, reporting online content helps disrupt scam activity at its source.