Gardaí investigated for selling access to case files
There appears to be an ongoing problem with a minority of Gardaí abusing their position by selling or leaking confidential information. The most recent episode involves allegations that Gardaí have been illegally supplying information to insurance companies. The Sunday Tribune has an update: NEARLY 50 …
Gardaí Leaking Mobile Phone Records?
Last Tuesday’s Evening Herald had a curious front page story about the Afghan hunger strikers. Entitled “Truth about Taliban hunger strike” it read: Exclusive: Sinister Taliban rebels directed Dublin sit-in protest from Afghanistan. The hunger strikers inside St. Patrick’s Cathedral were being directed from Afghanistan, …
New ‘egovernment’ strategy is a national identity card by the back door
The government has promised that the Public Services Card would not be mandatory. But now the government has put forward an ‘eGovernment strategy’ that will force every citizen, young or old, rich or poor to have this card. You will not be able to travel …
DRI’s Submission to the Law Reform Commission on Cyberbullying and Harassment
The Law Reform Commission is now working on the area of “cyber-crime affecting personal safety, privacy and reputation including cyber-bullying” – a wide ranging area including “revenge pornography”, hate crime and harassment online generally. We have put in a detailed submission – drafted by Fergal …
Surveillance in Ireland: towards transparency
Where can you find the annual reports of the judges who oversee surveillance in Ireland? What is the agreement under which Irish ISPs provide communications data to gardaí? In what cases have the courts considered interception of communications under Irish law? What internal controls do …
Tomorrow’s ECJ judgment: Q&A
Tomorrow the European Court of Justice will give judgment in our case challenging mass surveillance under the Data Retention Directive. Here’s a summary of the background. What is the case about? It’s a challenge to data retention – i.e. laws which require ISPs and mobile …
Data retention threatens journalists also
Henry McDonald in today’s Guardian has an alarming story about Garda surveillance of crime journalists, including routine monitoring of their mobile phone calls and messages: Journalists in Ireland have raised concerns about the country’s draconian gagging orders on police officers talking to the media, including …
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 …
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 …
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 …
More thoughts on the Data Retention Bill
Daithi MacSithigh has put together a summary of problems with the Bill – cross posted here with his permission: The Minister for Justice in Ireland published the Communications (Retention of Data) Bill last week: it was made available on the Oireachtas website (and brought to …