Online political ads law unlikely before general election - Varadkar

Legislation to regulate online political advertising is unlikely to be in place before the next general election, the Dáil has heard.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the Government had made a decision earlier this month to develop a Bill requiring political advertising online to be transparent.

But he said they estimate that the general scheme or first outline of the legislation would be ready for the second quarter of next year. Mr Varadkar has previously said May is his preferred timing for a general election.

The Taoiseach said he did not believe in an outright ban on political advertising, whether that is a ban on posters, print advertising or online but he stressed that misinformation in any of these media forms was wrong.

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But “it needs to be properly regulated and made transparent so we know the source of any political advertising, who has paid for it and how it is being targeted”.

He told Labour leader Brendan Howlin that "we will progress the legislation as soon as we possibly can".

Mr Howlin pointed out that online political advertisements “that are misleading or malicious can be purchased on social media platforms by third parties and targeted at specific audiences to maximise the damage such misinformation can cause”.

He noted that an interdepartmental group had been established to look at social media use by external, anonymous or hidden third parties. It published a report in July last year recommending that online political advertising be regulated.

Mr Howlin added that the Taoiseach “holds all the power” as to whether such advertising would be regulated, had the unique power to call a general election and was in charge of the Government’s legislative programme.

He asked if Mr Varadkar would commit to have legislation enacted and “fully in force” for the election.

The Wexford TD said he was “genuinely concerned about the open use of racist, sexist and other bigoted language on social media by fringe political groups and movements”.

And “there is a real fear that this toxic rhetoric will encourage violence against people”.

He said that in the last local elections there were candidates “from our new community standing for a multiplicity of parties and as Independents” but he said that many faced “relentless attack of a racist nature online”.

The Taoiseach told him that “many fake posters are appearing across the country, largely targeted at the Government but at others too”.

He said it was “undetermined” whether they would have the general scheme or early draft ready before the general election, but the second quarter of 2020 was as quickly as the Department believes it can draft the legislation.

The Taoiseach added that hate speech was a separate matter from political advertising and the Minister for Justice was working to update the legislation and make it much stronger.