Bill aims to penalise campaigners giving false information online

Campaigners who give false or misleading information in online ads could be liable for a fines of up to €5,000 or jail time of up to a year under a proposed new law.

Fianna Fáil TD James Lawless’s Online Advertising and Social Media Transparency Bill, which aims to crackdown on surreptitious political campaigning online, has received broad legal clearance from parliamentary lawyers in recent days.

The bill would allow users who are targeted ...