The two hosting providers will now need to take measures to stop the spread of extremist content on their platforms.
Coimisiún na Meán finds that WhatsApp and Pinterest are “exposed to terrorist content” under its Terrorist Content Online Regulation (TCOR).
Under EU regulations, terrorist content can include the glorification of acts of terror, advocating for violence or soliciting and abetting a person or a group to commit such acts. It can also include providing instructions on how to make weapons or hazardous substances.
The TCOR is a part of Coimisiún na Meán’s Online Safety Framework, with the organisation gaining the power to impose penalties for related content last year. The regulation enables the media watchdog to counteract terrorist content and ensure its removal from hosting service providers.
Under the regulation, hosting companies have a legal obligation to remove content flagged as extremist within one hour of receiving a removal order. Failure to do so could result in fines of up to 4pc of global turnover.
Moreover, the hosting service providers which receive two or more final removal orders from the EU in a year are liable to be identified as being exposed to terrorist content.
Now, following its decision on Pinterest and WhatsApp Ireland, which is owned by Meta, the two service providers will need to take measures to protect their services from being used to spread extremist content. They are required to report on the actions they have taken to the media watchdog within three months.
The Government body will supervise and assess the mitigation actions taken by Pinterest and WhatsApp, it said.
Last year, Coimisiún na Meán determined that TikTok, X and Meta’s other platforms Instagram and Facebook were similarly exposed to terrorist content.
In its decision today (17 October), the watchdog says that it is continuing to supervise the four platforms and the mitigating measures they have taken to address the issues.
Meanwhile, in a recent collaborative partnership, the Irish Data Protection Commission and Coimisiún na Meán have agreed to work closely to regulate the online space to improve child safety on the internet.
The data privacy watchdog and the media regulator commit to providing support, sharing information and driving consistency in digital regulations.
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