Blog | Privacy
Data Retention – Should it be left to a private agreement between the State and Telcos?
Karlin Lillington has a strong piece in today’s Irish Times about a leaked draft agreement on data retention between state agencies (the Garda Síochána, Revenue and Defence Forces) and the telecoms industry (represented by ALTO, TIF and the ISPAI). Her comments are worth quoting extensively: …
Another day, another laptop loss
Yesterday it was a HSE laptop with sensitive financial information on the public. (Don’t forget the HSE has form – with multiple data losses just last year – and has now shown that it has broken its promise to encrypt all laptops containing sensitive personal …
Complaint to European Commission over Irish Interception Laws
You might have noticed that we think that Irish data retention laws are an invasion of our privacy. Unfortunately Irish law on interception of communications also fails to protect our privacy – and for that reason we’ve lodged a formal complaint with the European Commission, …
European Court upholds data retention… for the time being
The European Court of Justice has given its decision today in the Irish Government challenge to the Data Retention Directive – Ireland v. Parliament and Council (Press Release | Judgment). Unsurprisingly (in light of the Advocate General’s Opinion) it has held that the directive was …
Keeping an eye on UK developments
Karlin Lillington has an interesting story in today’s Irish Times on recent UK developments in surveillance and what they might mean for Ireland. Here’s an excerpt: NET RESULTS: When it comes to abuse of privacy, where Britain goes, Ireland tends to follow. That’s why we …
Time to take a close look at surveillance
Last week the Cabinet approved the heads of a Surveillance Bill which, if enacted, will allow Gardaí to break into private property to place covert video cameras and audio bugs, and to use evidence gathered in that way in criminal prosecutions. The Bill – which …
English DPP warns against “relentless pressure of a security State”
The outgoing head of the Crown Prosecution Service and DPP for England and Wales, Sir Ken MacDonald QC, has used his retirement speech to warn against UK government proposals to expand data retention: As I near my conclusion, let me, in my final public speech …
Data Retention – Advocate General recommends Irish Government challenge should be rejected
The Advocate General of the European Court of Justice has just given his Opinion (summary, PDF) on the Irish Government’s challenge and has recommended to the Court that the challenge should be rejected, holding that the Data Retention Directive was correctly dealt with as an …
Data Retention – Advocate General will give opinion on Irish Challenge in two weeks
The agenda of the European Court of Justice has just listed Tuesday, October 14 for the Advocate General’s opinion on the State’s challenge to the Data Retention Directive. This won’t be a final decision – the Advocate General gives an opinion which is merely advisory …
Mixed messages on data loss
There’s some good news and some not-so-good news in the Irish Times today on how the government is responding to its ongoing problems with losing personal data. First, the not-so-good news. In response to a parliamentary question from Labour leader Ruairí Quinn, it emerged that …
Implementing data retention – where’s the consultation?
This is a letter which the Department of Justice wrote in July 2006 indicating that they would consult us before drafting any measures implementing the Data Retention Directive. 18 months later we still haven’t heard anything concrete from them, despite reports that they plan to …
Irish Privacy Expert – “Big Brother philosophy threatens public’s privacy”
Professor Robert Clark is a leading Irish expert on privacy and the law. Here’s what he had to say in the Independent about the Government’s handling of personal privacy: Big Brother Philosophy Threatens Public’s Privacy Do the Irish Government and state agencies — health, prison, …