Irish Law Reform Commission Report on Harmful Communications and Digital Safety

The Law Reform Commission of Ireland has published a Report on Harmful Communications and Digital Safety that recommends the enactment of 2 new criminal offences to deal with posting online of intimate images without consent:

"The first is to deal with the intentional victim-shaming behaviour of posting intimate images without consent, often done after a relationship has broken down (so-called 'revenge porn'). The second new offence also deals with posting intimate photos or videos and is to deal with a new type of voyeurism, often called 'upskirting' or 'down-blousing'. "

"The Report also recommends reforms of the existing offence of harassment, to ensure that it includes online activity such as posting fake social media profiles; and that there should be a separate offence of stalking, which is really an aggravated form of harassment."

"The Report also recommends reform of the existing offence of sending threatening and intimidating messages, again to ensure that it fully captures the most serious types of online intimidation." [from the press release]

The report also looks at how jurisdictions such as Scotland, England and Wales, and Northern Ireland deal with offences like cyber-stalking.