Politicians have been given advice on staying safe online, including how to respond to threats after a poll, “deepfake” images, racist messages and online posts that spark a protest at their home, as well as 2024 election officially starts.

The Guard and Coimisiún na Meanthe Media Commission, has released an information pack for candidates amid a toxic online environment for politicians in recent years, many of whom have been victims of often serious abuse.

The results of the UCD study, published earlier this year, revealed that 73 per cent of TDs and senators who responded to a survey were victims of abuse on social media frequently and 22 per cent occasionally.

The question of the security of politicians returned to the forefront this week after Green Party chief Roderic O’Gorman was attacked while canvassing in his Dublin West constituency last weekend. A 45-year-old man has pleaded guilty to assaulting O’Gorman and is before the courts.

As well as the online safety brief, an updated version of a Garda booklet on safety advice for candidates on the campaign trail was also released this week.

( Eamon Ryan: “I’ll never forget seeing a really nasty comment about my dad, who had just died. It’s gotten worse since then.Opens in a new window )

He advises candidates to avoid canvassing alone or in the dark and not to leave people behind doors, among a series of precautions.

The separate online safety information pack offers advice on what to do when candidates encounter harmful and/or illegal online content or behavior. It outlines different scenarios that could arise and the actions candidates can take in response.

It also contains information on reporting channels that different online social media platforms can use when people suspect illegal content.

It outlines Ireland’s online safety framework, including legislation to protect people online that the commission has a role to enforce, such as the EU Digital Services Act.

The first scenario in the pack is one in which a candidate is threatened by angry individuals during a recruitment drive and later notices threatening messages online saying things like “I know where you live.”

Applicants who fear for their immediate safety are advised to contact the Garda by calling 999 or 112, and are told that although the messages are not life-threatening, some online messages may be illegal.

Before contacting Coimisiún na Meán, people must report these messages to the online platform as illegal content, and the platform must remove them. If the person does not agree with the platform’s response, they can complain or appeal to it. If the platform does not respond or allow an appeal, the candidate may contact the commission as this is potentially against the rules.

( Broadcast moratoriums are dangerous in the age of deepfake and should be phased outOpens in a new window )

Another possible scenario is where the politician sees a manipulated “deepfake” image of themselves showing them at a public event they did not attend and worries that people won’t know that it is false, thus harming their chances of election.

The opinion states that such doctored images should, under EU directives, be clearly labeled to indicate that they are what they are.

This falls under the Digital Services Act, which sets out specific guidelines that some very large online platforms and search engines are recommended to follow to mitigate election-related risks.

Applicants are advised to first report a deepfake image to the online platform and follow their appeal procedure if necessary, and to complain or appeal to them if they are not satisfied with the response. Again, they can contact the commission if the platform does not respond or does not allow an appeal.

Applicants experiencing online racism are also asked to first report abuse on the online platform before potentially approaching the commission if they are unhappy with their response.

There is also advice for a scenario in which someone shares a photo of a politician’s house online and a group of angry protesters later arrive at the house. The advice is to call the Garda if there are immediate safety concerns and to report the person who shared the image of the house to the Garda as well as reporting posts on the platform as illegal content.

Launching the briefing package, Assistant Garda Commissioner Shauna Coxon said the Garda was working with the commission “to support our democracy by keeping people safe online during this election”.

John Evans, the commission’s digital services commissioner, said it was “important that people are empowered to stand as candidates in any election without being deterred by abuse or illegal behavior online”.

He said the hope is that the information pack “will help applicants understand their rights online and know where to turn for help, if necessary.”

The commission would also work with online platforms in their preparations for the elections, and Mr Evans added: “We expect them to play their part in ensuring that people can make free, fair and informed choices about where to vote. » .