Privacy

Data protection law does not stand in the way of sharing information about individuals' criminal convictions in circumstances where it is necessary to protect other people, the Data Protection Commission (DPC) has clarified. The DPC this week issued a statement following recent reports about a convi

Ireland's new mass surveillance regime is "certain" to be challenged in the European courts, a leading digital rights expert has said after the government confirmed it has obtained a High Court order requiring telecom providers to retain data for the next 12 months. The Communications (Retention of

The Law Society of England and Wales has urged the UK government not to diverge from the EU's nascent regulatory regime for artificial intelligence. In its response to a government white paper published in March, the Law Society calls on the UK to align with the EU, which is working towards a bindin

The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) has accused the government of seeking to "muzzle critics" of the Data Protection Commission (DPC) through new legislative proposals. A proposed amendment to the Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2022 would allow the DPC to direct indivi

A standalone bill allowing for the use of facial recognition technology (FRT) by An Garda Síochána will be brought forward later in the year, the government has announced. The Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) Bill 2022, which is currently before the Dáil and will

The EU has moved significantly closer to adopting laws regulating artificial intelligence in a move welcomed by civil liberties campaigners. The European Parliament has approved regulations meant to set a worldwide benchmark for the technology, which covers a broad spectrum from automated medical di

Legislation allowing for the general and indiscriminate retention of communications traffic and location data on national security grounds, subject to judicial approval, is to come into force. Having returned from maternity leave, justice minister Helen McEntee yesterday signed a commencement order

Three out of four Irish organisations have seen an increased number of reported data breaches since 2018, according to a new survey by business law firm Mason Hayes & Curran. The firm surveyed attendees at its recent ' Data Privacy In-House Counsel Masterclass' event, which took place at The Mar

A record €1.2 billion fine is to be imposed on Facebook owner Meta following GDPR breaches related to personal data transfers between the EU/EEA and the US.

Ireland is continuing to act as an "enforcement bottleneck" for the GDPR, the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) has said. In a new report published today, ICCL said Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC) is failing to enforce the GDPR against Big Tech despite an increase in resources.

McCann FitzGerald partners Rosaleen Byrne and Amy Brick and associate Louise Mitchell examine the first CJEU judgment to address the question of non-material damage under Article 82 of the General Data Protection Regulation. As set out in our previous briefing Compensation in Data Breach Claims &nda

Most Irish organisations believe the GDPR is in need of reform as compliance is too expensive and difficult, according to a survey published by McCann FitzGerald LLP and Mazars. The two companies have published their latest annual survey on the impact and success of the GDPR, which comes five years

Ireland and other EU countries must overhaul their approach to making technology law to achieve cybersecurity while safeguarding the fundamental rights to privacy and data protection, according to the author of a new book. Trinity College Dublin this week hosted a launch event for Cybersecurity, Pri

Irish tax authorities may be forced to stop publishing a quarterly list of tax defaulters following a recent European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) judgment, according to reports. The government is examining the implications of the court's ruling in L.B. v Hungary, no. 36345/16 on 9 March 2023, in w

TikTok has been fined £12.7 million for a number of breaches of data protection law by the UK regulator, including failing to use children's personal data lawfully. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) estimates that TikTok allowed up to 1.4 million UK children under 13 to use its