Consumer Guide to Digital Regulation
This page has information about where to make a complaint if you have an issue with a digital platform.
Ireland has four digital regulators:
- Coimisiún na Meán
- Competition and Consumer Protection Commission
- Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg)
- Data Protection Commission
Coimisiún na Meán
Coimisiún na Meán (CNAM) is Ireland’s agency for developing and regulating a thriving, diverse, creative, safe and trusted media landscape. It is the independent media regulator, responsible for regulating broadcasters, video-on-demand providers and online platforms established in Ireland. It is responsible for Ireland’s Online Safety Framework, which will hold digital services accountable for how they protect people, especially children, from online harm.
Contact details
Its Contact Centre is available to advise members of the public on issues they have encountered on a platform online. You can email usersupport@cnam.ie or call the Contact Centre on +353 1 9637755 (Monday-Friday 8am-6pm).
If you come across illegal or harmful content on a platform, you should firstly report
the content to the platform in question.
If you come across illegal or harmful content on a platform, you should report the content to the platform in question first. If you see content that you believe is a threat to the life or safety of a person you should contact the emergency services on 112.
What you can report
Examples of what you can report to Coimisiún na Meán:
- issues contacting, reporting content, or making complaints to a
platform - issues regarding content being removed, suspended accounts
- issues related to online advertising
- recommender systems / ‘’for you’’ feeds
- terms and conditions of the platform which do not contain protection for
children.
For more information, please visit www.cnam.ie.
Competition and Consumer Protection Commission
The CCPC (Competition and Consumer Protection Commission) is responsible for
competition, consumer protection, product safety law, and has a new role in digital
and data regulation.
We help consumers make informed choices when they shop online, and act when traders mislead or exploit consumers, or when social media influencers do not disclose ads in their social media posts. We also enforce rights for digital purchases like streaming services. We will be responsible for ensuring users can access and share data from connected products like smart-home devices.
Contact details
You can contact the CCPC on 353 (0)1 402 5555, visit our contact us form or email ask@ccpc.ie. The helpline opening hours are 9am to 6pm Monday to Friday. You can also write to CCPC at Bloom House, Railway Street, Dublin 1, D01 C576.
What you can report
- I bought a product online that caught fire when I plugged it in. What should I do?
- I bought a television online and they won’t let me return it. They say it’s not broken so they don’t have to. What are my rights?
- I wanted to cancel my online subscription but it was renewed automatically.What can I do?
- I saw an influencer post talking about a makeup product which I bought. It was only later I realised that she owns the company and I felt misled as I thought it was a genuine review. What can I do?
- I bought something from a marketplace but I don’t know who the trader is and the product page has no details online. How can I find out who to contact?
ComReg
The Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) is the independent public body responsible for the regulation of the electronic communications sector, which includes phone and broadband, and postal services like An Post. It protects consumers and provides impartial, fair advice and information.
ComReg can help you with your service providers by making sure you’re informed of your rights to help you make informed decisions, that measures are in place for vulnerable and disabled consumers, that providers have a user-friendly complaints handling process in place, that service providers’ practices comply with consumer protection laws and taking enforcement action where required. ComReg can help you find an acceptable solution if your service provider can’t directly solve your complaint.
The website has helpful tools, including: Broadband Checker, Mobile Coverage Map, and Compare for phone broadband and TV plans.
Contact details
Phone Consumer Care on (01) 8049668, Monday to Friday: 8am to 8pm Saturday: 9am to 1pm
Email on consumerline@comreg.ie
Write to Consumer Care Team, ComReg, One Dockland Central, Guild Street, Dublin, D01 E4X0.
Text: COMREG or ASKCOMREG to 51500 to receive a call or text back (standard SMS rates apply)
Web chat, online form and more information available at: www.comreg.ie
How they can help
- Have you been overcharged for a service? Or have you been billed for a service that you don’t recognise?
- Have you received a notice that your bill is increasing? Were you given the wrong price for your contract when you signed-up?
- Have you experienced a loss of service or mobile coverage?
- Have you experienced a delay in changing to a new provider? Have you lost your phone number, and you are finding it difficult to get it back?
Data Protection Commission
The Data Protection Commission (DPC) is the national data protection authority in Ireland. It is responsible for making sure that your personal data is used by companies in compliance with data protection laws. The best known law that it regulates is the General Data Protection Regulation, or the GDPR. The DPC also has powers related to other important regulatory frameworks including the Irish ePrivacy Regulations (2011) and the Law Enforcement Directive.
The DPC specifically focuses on the protection of your personal data. Personal data is any piece of information that helps someone to know who you are, such as your full name, your email address, or a photo or video of you. It can even include information about what you search for online or the kinds of posts you like on social media.
Contact details
If you have contacted an organisation about a personal data concern and are
unhappy with the outcome, you can raise the matter with the DPC through its online form or by emailing info@dataprotection.ie.
What you can report
- I requested a copy of all of the information a website I have used has about me, but they won’t respond to me – what are my rights?
- I keep receiving unsolicited marketing emails from a company, but I never gave
them my consent to contact me. I’ve tried to opt out but the company continues to send me marketing emails – what can I do? - I want to delete my social media account and all related personal data – what
are my rights in this regard? - Pictures of my child have been posted online by a sports club without my knowledge – what can I do about this?
- My medical records were mistakenly shared with another patient – what can I do about this?
For more information, please visit www.dataprotection.ie
