The party is aiming to do away with anonymous troll accounts.
Sinn Féin will present a bill to Dáil Éireann on Thursday in a bid to tackle the act of online harassment and abuse.
Targeting anonymous accounts that engage in defamation, harassment and abuse, the Social Media Platforms (Defamation Amendment) Bill takes its cue from similar legislation in Australia.
In announcing the measure, Martin Kenny, Sinn Féin’s spokesperson on justice, referred to the regular intimidation people feel online.
“Online abuse and harassment are unacceptable but are sadly all too common,” Kenny said.
“Many people feel intimidated when using online platforms due to the way in which trolls are able to act with impunity,” he added.
The bill aims to make social media giants financially responsible for any such harassment-related wrongdoing.
“This legislation will hold the social media platform accountable for the defamation if they fail to refuse or to divulge the real identity of the account holder who has made the defamatory statements,” notes a Sinn Féin statement.
Government officials have sought to take a tougher approach to online abuse in recent years.
In December of 2020, the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences bill was approved by Cabinet, though that bill was first mooted in 2017.
Under the terms of the bill, individuals found guilty of revenge porn and online harassment could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
Up until that point in time, Ireland had no laws in place to combat online harassment and humiliation as relates to the use of sexual content.
“I’ve been anxious to start the process of regulating that environment,” former Labour leader Brendan Howlin said at the time.
“This piece of legislation is a significant start, but it is only a start. As technology evolves, we will be back with amendments to this legislation.”
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