Blog | Privacy
80 Government laptops missing – how much of our personal information is in the wrong hands?
Today’s Irish Independent covers the revelation (via Ruari Quinn’s Dáil questions) that over 80 government laptops – together with other items such as USB keys and Blackberries – have been lost or stolen over the last five years. It appears from the responses to those …
Ireland guilty of “systemic failure” to protect privacy – Privacy International
Ireland continues to suffer from a systemic failure to protect privacy, according to the new report of watchdog Privacy International on Leading surveillance societies in the EU and the World 2007. Their 2007 Report is a comprehensive document based on a survey of 47 countries …
UK security breaches – Irish situation is no better
The Data Protection Commissioner has said that the recent UK security breach could just as easily happen in Ireland and that public bodies have ignored years of warnings about data security: Data Protection Commissioner Billy Hawkes has issued a stark warning about the dangers of …
UK security breach shows why data retention must be stopped
From the Irish Times: Britain’s prime minister Gordon Brown and chancellor Alistair Darling were left reeling last night after the astonishing disclosure that the personal data of 25 million people and 7.25 million families across the UK has been lost. The Metropolitan Police are now …
Even more social welfare leaks
Today’s Irish Independent has details of yet another case of a civil servant in the Department of Social and Family Affairs selling personal information to the media. As before, there is no evidence of any official inclination to take these cases seriously – the offender …
Yet more social welfare leaks
Today’s Irish Independent reveals still more leaks from the Department of Family and Social Affairs, along with information that the leaks were used by criminals to target their victims. As we’ve said before, there is a systematic problem of staff in public bodies abusing sensitive …
Safeguards needed for CCTV systems
Minister for Justice Brian Lenihan today announced more funding for community CCTV schemes. Unfortunately these schemes still fail to comply with basic safeguards recommended by the Law Reform Commission nearly ten years in its 1998 Report on Privacy. Experience in other jurisdictions have shown that …
Welfare Records Leaked to Insurers
Yesterday’s Sunday Times has details of an investigation by the Data Protection Commissioner into leaking of social welfare details to the insurance industry. The text isn’t available online but an excerpt follows: Welfare Records Leaked to Insurers Colin Coyle Civil servants in the Department of …
RTÉ’s This Week on Mobile Phone Tracking
The Rachel O’Reilly murder trial has focused attention on the use of mobile phone tracking. RTÉ’s This Week programme has a segment on the risks of tracking and data retention with contributions from the Data Protection Commissioner and DRI. …
TD requests phone tap investigation
RTÉ News reports that Dr. Jerry Cowley, Independent TD for Mayo, is to ask the complaints referee to investigate apparent official tapping of his telephone: The independent Mayo TD Jerry Cowley has called for an investigation to establish if his phone is being tapped by …
Dublin City-Wide WiFi – Privacy Implications?
It’s great to see that Dublin City Council are planning free wireless internet access for Dublin – hopefully replacing the expensive and patchy coverage currently available. One issue that will be important in designing and implementing this system is whether it respects the privacy of …
European Data Protection Day – Protect your privacy online and off
EUROPEAN DATA PROTECTION DAY – PROTECT YOUR PRIVACY ONLINE AND OFF European Data Protection Day takes place on Sunday 28th January. Irish civil rights group Digital Rights Ireland (DRI) has put together a list of things you can do to protect your privacy. DRI Chairman …