NYC-Dublin Portal Reopens With These New Changes After Temporary Shutdown Due To 'Inappropriate Behavior'

The continuous live stream, enabling users from both cities to see each other and engage in interaction, was deactivated on May 14th, just days after its launch.

A message on the empty screen read: “Portal is asleep - back up soon.”

Instances, widely circulated on social media platforms, included users engaging in "mooning," displaying swearwords, and exposing various body parts.

A Dublin user shared a video depicting the 9/11 attacks in New York City.

Portal Reopens With Changes Post Temporary Closure

In a statement, the council said the attraction has amassed tens of thousands of visitors and received almost two billion online impressions during its time in operation.

Dublin City Council announced that the livestream will be active in the upcoming weeks, operating from 11:00 to 21:00 local time in Dublin and from 06:00 to 16:00 EDT in New York.

In a released statement, the council highlighted "The overwhelming majority of people who have visited the portal sculptures have experienced the sense of joy and connectedness that these works of public art invite people to have.

The statement emphasized, "The vast majority of visitors to the portal sculptures have experienced the feelings of joy and connection that these public art installations encourage."

Furthermore, it reiterated that the sculptures should not be touched or walked upon. "We have taken steps to limit instances of people stepping on the portal and holding phones up to the camera lens," the statement added.

"The Portals.org team has implemented a proximity-based solution. Now, if individuals step on the portal and obstruct the camera, it will trigger a blurring of the livestream for everyone on both sides of the Atlantic."

The Dublin portal stands near the intersection where North Earl Street meets the city's primary thorougfare, O'Connell Street.

Meanwhile, the New York portal is situated at the Flatiron South Public Plaza, positioned at the bustling junction of Broadway, Fifth Avenue, and 23rd Street.