Submission on the IP Enforcement Directive
Today was the last day for submissions to the European Commission consultation on the IP Enforcement Directive and we’re very grateful to Alan Toner for putting together a short submission emphasising some of the many problems with it. Full text after the jump. …
Garda plans for web blocking referred to Data Protection Commissioner
In our last post we mentioned Garda plans to introduce web blocking into Ireland. One of the many problems with blocking systems is that they require ISPs to take additional steps to monitor users, resulting in real risks to privacy. These risks are amplified in …
Garda plans to introduce web blocking in Ireland
Last year we revealed that the Department of Justice was working on secret plans to introduce internet filtering in Ireland. Now, despite a complete lack of any legislation, public consultation or democratic discussion, these plans have moved to the implementation stage. In a letter which …
Judge’s report reveals allegations that Garda used phone records to spy on her ex
Mark Tighe has an important story in today’s Sunday Times about apparent abuse by a garda of the data retention system. Unfortunately it’s behind a paywall, but I’ve taken the liberty of scanning the hardcopy and placing it here as it raises a number of …
Data retention agreement between Department of Justice and telcos leaked
The Department of Justice and various Irish ISPs / telecommunications providers have been in negotiations for some time now as to how the Data Retention Bill will be applied once passed. The first draft of an agreement between them was leaked in September 2009 – …
In defence of online anonymity
In a week when whistleblowing by an anonymous blogger was crucial to exposing problems in the Irish Red Cross it becomes all the more important to stand up for the right to online anonymity. The following is an attempt to make the case for the …
Blocking of innocent websites by O2 Ireland
[Cross-posted from EDRiI-Gram] The Irish mobile operator O2 has acknowledged accidentally blocking the image hosting website IMGUR through its system for blocking alleged child abuse material. There appears to have been no indication that there was, in fact, any illegal material hosted on that site. …
Internet Filtering in Ireland: More Information from the Seanad
Following on from our freedom of information request, Senator Paschal Donohue recently raised the issue of internet filtering in the Seanad. In a perceptive intervention he pointed to business risks of filtering and sought to establish precisely what is the current policy in this area. …
Pulling the plug is not the answer
Dr. Richard Tynan and I have a piece in Saturday’s Irish Examiner discussing the implications of Eircom’s “phased disconnection” scheme. Unfortunately it doesn’t seem to be on their website, so here’s the full text: Pulling the plug is not the answer Earlier this week Eircom …
Leaked report on Data Retention Directive shows fundamental flaws
Under Article 14 of the Data Retention Directive the Commission must produce a public evaluation of the application of the Directive before 15 September 2010. A draft version of that document has now been leaked (along with the Irish Government’s submission) and makes for very …
Data Retention Challenge – High Court update
After last week’s excitement, this week is something of an anti-climax – when the case came back before the High Court today the State applied for and were granted further time to consider the judgment. The case will be listed next on June 11th. …
High Court decision on our data retention challenge
Great news today from the High Court where Mr. Justice McKechnie gave an extremely favourable decision on our constitutional challenge to data retention laws. While the full judgment is 53 pages long, the gist is relatively simple. Long story short: today’s decision has cleared the …
