Minister O’Brien and Minister Noonan welcome the publication of new Electoral Commission Guide on Disinformation

Framework for Online Electoral Process Information, Political Advertising and deceptive AI content to enhance the electoral integrity and democratic process

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O'Brien TD and Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan TD, today welcomed the publication by An Coimisiún Toghcháin (the Electoral Commission) of a Framework on Online Electoral Process Information, Political Advertising and Deceptive AI content.

An Coimisiún prepared the Framework as a useful guide for, primarily, online platforms, online search engines, political parties and candidates at forthcoming elections. The Framework is aimed at enhancing the electoral integrity and democratic processes associated with the June electoral events.

Speaking following a meeting today between the Ministers and representatives of the Technology Sector, Coimisiún na Meán and An Coimisiún, Minister O'Brien stressed the importance of ongoing work to ensure that we protect the integrity of our electoral and democratic processes. He emphasized:

"I was pleased today to engage directly with representatives from platforms and to hear directly from them how they are combatting disinformation online. From our engagement, it is clear we all have a shared interest in protecting and upholding our elections, the beating heart of our democracy. We need to work together to ensure strong safeguards are in place in advance of the June elections. To that end, I particularly welcome the publication today of the new Electoral Commission Framework which will help to achieve that."

Minister Noonan also welcomed the publication of the Framework, adding:

"The risks to the integrity of elections are already apparent, with many examples across the world of inauthentic behaviour, particularly involving AI-manipulated audio or video. It is important that we do all we can to protect our electoral and democratic processes from such interference."

The Framework that has now been put in place by An Coimisiún Toghcháin will compliment a number of other significant national, EU and sectoral steps which have been taken in recent times to address the challenges that have emerged.

These initiatives include:

• the passage of the Electoral Reform Act 2022
• the establishment of An Coimisiún Toghcháin and Coimisiún na Meán
• the full implementation of the EU Digital Services Act
• the adoption of the EU Regulation on the targeting and transparency of political advertising
• the 2022 Strengthened Code of Practice on Disinformation and
• the AI elections accord agreed in February 2024

The framework can accessed on An Coimisiún Toghcháin's website here .