Blog | DRI
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 …
Three unproven accusations and you’re out – why the Eircom / IRMA deal is bad for internet users
The internet is abuzz (Irish Times | EFF | ars technica | Boing Boing) with the news that Eircom and the record labels have reached an out of court settlement in which Eircom has agreed to implement a “three strikes” regime for disconnecting people accused …
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 …
Oireachtas Committee rejects passenger records proposals
The Irish Times is reporting that the Joint Committee on European Scrutiny (a cross party committee which examines proposed EU legislation) has published a report which is highly critical of European proposals on passenger records. The draft Framework Decision on the Use of Passenger Name …
Statewatch report – “The Shape of Things to Come”
European civil rights group Statewatch today launched a fascinating and worrying report – The Shape of Things to Come by Tony Bunyan – giving an overview of EU policy and the implications for civil liberties. Here’s what they had to say about it: The EU …
Irish Times calls for data breach disclosure law
The editorial in today’s Irish Times has joined the calls (by ourselves and others) for laws which will ensure that Irish citizens are warned when their personal information has been compromised. IF ANY doubts remained about the urgent need for a national data disclosure law, …
Laptop loss – where’s the accountability?
From the Irish Independent: STAFF at the State spending watchdog who failed to inform authorities that laptops stolen from them contained sensitive information about up to 400,000 people are to escape disciplinary action. The Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (OCAG) last night confirmed …
Even more lessons from laptop loss
We’ve written before about laptops going missing containing confidential personal information. Then it was 31,000 Bank of Ireland customers who had to worry whether they could be the victims of fraud. This time it’s 380,000 social welfare recipients whose details might be compromised – with …
“Do you know where you this time last week? You may not, but the State certainly does.”
Fergal Crehan wrote a short and very clear piece for the Irish Daily Mail last month on data retention. It’s not available online, so here’s the full text: Do you know where you this time last week? You may not, but the State certainly does. …
Irish Human Rights Commission given permission to appear in DRI action
Good news from the High Court, where Mr. Justice McKechnie has given the Irish Human Rights Commission permission to appear as an amicus curiae in our challenge to data retention laws. From the Commission’s website: “This case raises important issues about the extent to which …
Liberty v. UK: European Court of Human Rights finds mass surveillance system violates the right to privacy
In the appropriately named Liberty v. The United Kingdom the European Court of Human Rights has held that a system of mass surveillance operated by the UK government to spy on all telephone calls, faxes and emails to and from Ireland was in breach of …
Avoiding Bluetooth Spam
You might have noticed a story in today’s Irish Independent about the increased use of “mobile marketing via bluetooth”. Paring away the advertising speak, this is simply Bluetooth spam – an unsolicited message sent to your mobile. Email and SMS spam is prohibited by Irish …