Government must back Labour Bill to tackle AI sexual abuse
Government must back Labour Bill to tackle AI sexual abuse - The Labour Party
Labour’s Alan Kelly TD has called on Government to support Labour’s legislation to tackle AI-generated sexual abuse imagery when it comes before the Dáil tomorrow. The Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2026 would close gaps in Irish law and strengthen legal accountability for online platforms.
Deputy Kelly said:
“More than nine months after the Grok/X scandal, Government has still failed to deliver the changes needed to protect people from AI-generated sexual abuse. People who have experienced this abuse deserve more than expressions of concern. They need a law that addresses what perpetrators and platforms can now do.
“Our Bill would explicitly cover sexual abuse images that someone generates or alters using AI. It would criminalise generating those images without consent for publication or distribution, and make it an offence to encourage or knowingly facilitate their generation for that purpose. That responsibility must extend to the companies that provide these tools. Major publishers, including X, Meta, TikTok and Google, must answer for their conduct under the law. Platforms cannot claim to take safety seriously while escaping responsibility for facilitating abuse.
“Social media companies appeared before the Media Committee in September, yet we still face the same basic problem: companies and their executives resist accountability while people bear the consequences. Voluntary assurances cannot substitute for enforceable legal duties.
“Government has had nine months to act. Tomorrow it must support Labour’s Bill, commit to closing these gaps and set a clear timetable for enactment. Every further delay leaves people exposed to abuse that this House has the power to confront.”
ENDS