The five-week course will focus on the Online Safety and Media Regulations Act 2022, online harassment, disinformation/fake news, cancel culture, data privacy, child safety online, social media in the courts, ChatGPT and more.

Claire O’Mahony, head of the Law Society’s diploma centre, said: “With the growth of ChatGPT and artificial intelligence, and a raft of new legislation affecting social media, this year’s course has never been so timely.

“Our expert contributors will dive into the discourse of social media; they will examine a full suite of topics including, misinformation, data privacy, defamation laws, trolling and content moderation.

“Now in its ninth year, the MOOC is an important element of the Law Society’s public legal education initiative, which aims to increase access to legal education.

“This year’s MOOC is an excellent way to learn more about our rights and obligations when using online platforms, and to gain insight into the laws relating to this dynamic and fast-moving area.”

Some of the expert contributors providing insights and expertise for MOOC participants include:

• Niamh Hodnett, Online Safety Commissioner, Coimisiun na Meán
• Daniel Coady, Solicitor and Principal Privacy Counsel, RTÉ
• Kate Colleary, Director of Pembroke Privacy
• Barry Crushell, Principal Solicitor, Crushell & Co Solicitors
• Siobhan Cummiskey, Director of Content Policy, Meta
• Clare Daly, Solicitor, Comyn Kelleher Tobin LLP
• Samantha Holman, CEO, Irish Copyright Licensing Agency
• David Kerrigan, Technology Analyst and author, speaker on emerging technologies
• Andrea Martin, Consultant, MediaLawyer Solicitors
• Ciarán O’Connor, Senior Analyst, Institute for Strategic Dialogue Global
• Dr. Eoin O’Dell, Associate Professor, School of Law, Trinity College Dublin
• Michael O’Doherty, BL
• Mary Cloonan, Marketing Clever Ltd.
• Orla Twomey, CEO, Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland (ASAI)

Registration for this year’s MOOC is open now. Participants can continue to register after the start date and can catch up on lectures on demand.

To register and for more information about the Social Media and Law MOOC, click here.