tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69112366134526378212024-03-05T02:41:46.279-08:00Fintan Lawlor - Data ProtectionFintan Lawlor - Data Protectionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12869198170403838391noreply@blogger.comBlogger65125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6911236613452637821.post-47384032771640689072016-11-23T01:23:00.001-08:002016-11-23T01:23:11.917-08:00Businesses will have to pay for data protection services<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Irish Independent 15th November 2016</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Irish businesses will have to cough up for new data
protection officers thanks to EU laws coming down the tracks, according to the
Irish data protection commissioner.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #111111; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">Speaking to the Irish Independent, Helen Dixon said
that the General Data Protection Regulation will be a "wake up call"
for Irish organisations which do not currently have such facilities in place<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Ms Dixon
said that dozens of foreign-based tech companies had recently been in touch
with her office over data compliance responsibilities after a potential move to
Ireland.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">The GDPR is
one of a number of data and security issues to be discussed at Dublin InfoSec
2016 today. The RDS conference, which includes talks by Wikileaks journalist
Sarah Harrison and cyber psychologist Mary Aiken, will focus on topics ranging
from how to survive being hacked to ransomware attacks and responding to data
breaches.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">Breaches</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">The
conference is being held as news of one of the world's biggest data breaches
broke last night. Over 400 million email addresses and passwords from the
adult-themed dating network 'Adult Friend Finder' were exposed, with tens of
thousands of Irish email addresses said to be included in the breach.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">Meanwhile,
Ms Dixon said that it would be a matter of months before the Irish data
regulator's office knows whether, or to what extent, Yahoo can be held
accountable for its recent data breach that affected over 500 million email
users.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">"We're
in daily contact and in constant activity," she said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">"That
is the subject of significant activity for the office and is in fact a scenario
that is changing day by day in terms of the information that we're
gathering."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">Last week,
Yahoo filed a document with US authorities revealing that some staff knew of
the data breach as far back as 2014. The company, which only admitted the
massive breach in September of this year, has claimed that the meltdown was
caused by state-sponsored hackers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Fintan Lawlor - Data Protectionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12869198170403838391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6911236613452637821.post-79751449448896375172016-11-07T06:41:00.001-08:002016-11-07T06:41:30.621-08:00Fears of intensified censorship as China passes controversial cybersecurity bill<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 11.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">The Journal 7<sup>th</sup>
November 2016 <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">CHINA
HAS PASSED a controversial cybersecurity bill, further tightening restrictions
on online freedom of speech, raising concerns that it could intensify already
wide-ranging internet censorship.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">The
ruling Communist Party oversees a vast censorship system – dubbed the Great
Firewall – that aggressively blocks sites or snuffs out internet content and
commentary on topics considered sensitive, such as Beijing’s human rights
record and criticism of the government.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">The
law, which was approved by the National People’s Congress Standing Committee,
bans internet users from publishing a wide variety of information, including
anything that damages “national honour”, “disturbs economic or social order” or
is aimed at “overthrowing the socialist system”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">National
security</span></b><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 11.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">The
law requires companies to verify a user’s identity, effectively making it
illegal to go online anonymously.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 11.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">It
also includes provisions for protecting the country’s networks and private user
information.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 11.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">Early
drafts of the legislation drew a wave of criticism from rights groups and
businesses, which objected to its vague language.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 11.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">Foreign
companies, in particular, expressed concern about language that would require
them to cooperate with Chinese authorities to “protect national security”,
broadly-worded language that was included in the final version of the law.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 11.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">“This
dangerous law commandeers internet companies to be de facto agents of the
state, by requiring them to censor and provide personal data to the authorities
at a whim,” said Patrick Poon, China researcher at overseas-based rights group
Amnesty International.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 11.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">Internet
rumours</span></b><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 11.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">Chinese
authorities have long reserved the right to control and censor online content.
But the country stepped up its controls in 2013, launching a wide-ranging internet
crackdown that targeted activists and focused on the spread of so-called
“internet rumours”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 11.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">Hundreds
of Chinese bloggers and journalists were detained as part of the campaign to
assert greater control over social media, which has seen influential critics of
Beijing paraded on state television.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 11.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">Under
regulations announced at the time, Chinese internet users face three years in
prison for writing defamatory messages that are re-posted 500 times or more.
Web users can also be jailed if offending posts are viewed more than 5,000
times.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 11.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">Comments
posted on social media have been used in the prosecution of various activists,
such as human rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 11.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">“If
online speech and privacy are a bellwether of Beijing’s attitude toward
peaceful criticism, everyone – including netizens in China and major
international corporations – is now at risk,” said Sophie Richardson, China
Director of Human Rights Watch.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 11.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">“This law’s passage
means there are no protections for users against serious charges.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Fintan Lawlor - Data Protectionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12869198170403838391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6911236613452637821.post-14201412100872485152016-10-11T03:23:00.003-07:002016-10-11T03:23:38.714-07:00Private investigator guilty of data protection breach<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">RTE News, 10<sup>th</sup>
October 2016 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">The director of
a Galway-based private investigation company has pleaded guilty at Tuam
District Court to breaches of the Data Protection Act.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">Michael Ryan, of
Glen Collection Investments Ltd, in Glenamaddy, obtained personal information
from the Department of Social Protection when he was working on behalf of AIB
and Bank of Ireland.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">Today's court
proceedings follow an investigation by Assistant Data Protection Commissioner Tony
Delaney.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">The case arises
from a complaint by an individual, Daniel Lannon, that his personal data,
including details of a previous address in Louth, had been handed over
unlawfully to a private investigator.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">Ryan had been
carrying out work for Croskerrys Solicitors in Dublin, a firm specialising in
debt recovery, that was acting for AIB.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">The court heard
he obtained personal information from his sister-in-law, Catriona Bracken, who
was an employee of the Department of Social Protection in Athlone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">The personal
data of 61 individuals had been accessed on behalf of the two main banks in
this investigation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">Ms Bracken, AIB
and Bank of Ireland were not represented in court as the prosecution related
solely to Ryan and his company. The court heard the company was not registered
with the Data Protection Commissioner and had no authorisation to process
personal information on databases.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">The court heard
that while it is not against the law for solicitors and banks to hire private
investigators, it remains a serious breach of the Data Protection Act to obtain
personal information unlawfully.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">It was the
tactics and methodology used that were of serious concern in this case.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">Judge Conal
Gibbons said that by publicising prosecutions of this nature, citizens would
have their rights protected and vindicated in the courts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">He also
expressed concern that banks did not take greater care to ensure the people
they were hiring to help recover debt were fully compliant with rules and
regulations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">The judge took
into account the guilty plea and the financial circumstances of Ryan when he
imposed a fine of €7,500.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">The court heard
the 47-year-old father of five was in mortgage arrears.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">He had no
previous convictions and received modest fees of between €45 and €100 for each
'trace' he carried out illegally.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">Today's
successful prosecution was welcomed by the State's data protection watchdog.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">Assistant
Commissioner Delaney said private investigators acting unlawfully would
continue to be vigorously pursued.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Fintan Lawlor - Data Protectionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12869198170403838391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6911236613452637821.post-33023355340173706352016-09-23T04:56:00.001-07:002016-09-23T04:56:28.741-07:00Data Protection Commissioner seeking answers after massive Yahoo privacy breach<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 11.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">The Journal, 23<sup>rd</sup> September
2016 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 11.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">YAHOO HAS SAID that a massive attack on
its network in 2014 allowed hackers to steal data from half a billion users and
may have been “state sponsored.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 11.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">The Data Protection Commissioner here
has been notified of the data breach by the multinational, which has its
European HQ based in Dublin.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">“Yahoo
have notified us of the breach,” a spokeswoman told <i>TheJournal.ie</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #EAEDF2; line-height: 18.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #444444; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">Our office has raised a number of issues for which
we’re seeking clarification on, and are waiting for a response from Yahoo.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;"><a href="https://www.dataprotection.ie/docs/Helen%20Dixon/b/1507.htm"><span style="color: #006aa0;">Helen Dixon</span></a> was <a href="http://www.thejournal.ie/new-data-protection-commissioner-1664704-Sep2014/"><span style="color: #006aa0;">appointed</span></a> as Data Protection Commissioner
for Ireland in September 2014, heading up the office in Portharlington, Co
Laois.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">Yahoo,
which <a href="http://www.thejournal.ie/yahoo-hack-2992161-Sep2016/"><span style="color: #006aa0;">confirmed details</span></a> of the breach last
night, months after reports of a major hack, said its investigation concluded
that “certain user account information was stolen” and that the attack came
from “what it believes is a state-sponsored actor.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 11.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">“Based on the ongoing investigation,
Yahoo believes that information associated with at least 500 million user
accounts was stolen,” said a statement by the US internet giant in what is
likely the largest-ever breach for a single organization.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">The
comments come after a report earlier this year quoted a security researcher
saying some 200 million accounts may have been accessed and that hacked data
was being offered for sale online.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 11.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">Yahoo said the stolen information may
have included names, email addresses, birth dates, and scrambled passwords,
along with encrypted or unencrypted security questions and answers that could
help hackers break into victims’ other online accounts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 11.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">While there is no official record of
the largest breaches, many analysts have called the Myspace hack revealed
earlier this year as the largest to date, with 360 million users affected.</span><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: white; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">law </span><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 11.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">Ammunition for hackers</span></b><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 11.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">Computer security analyst Graham Cluley
said the stolen Yahoo data “could be useful ammunition for any hacker
attempting to break into Yahoo accounts, or interested in exploring whether
users might have used the same security questions/answers to protect themselves
elsewhere on the web.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 11.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">He noted that while Yahoo said that it
believes the hack was state-sponsored, the company provided no details
regarding what makes them think that is the case.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 11.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">“If I had to break the bad news that my
company had been hacked… I would feel much happier saying that the attackers
were ‘state-sponsored,’” rather than teen hackers, Cluley said in a blog post.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 11.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">University of Notre Dame associate
teaching professor and data security specialist Timothy Carone told AFP that
the Yahoo hack fit the “big picture” when it comes to cyberattacks launched by
spy agencies in Russia, China, North Korea or other countries.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 11.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">“It just smacks of traditional trade
craft,” Carone said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #EAEDF2; line-height: 18.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #444444; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">It is a broad sweep of getting information on
people and building up profiles on those who may be of use to them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">Carone
described Russia, China and North Korea as the usual three suspects in
state-sponsored hacks, but cautioned that allies are not above cyber snooping
as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 11.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">“People have to realize that anything
they put out there is fair game,” he said, stressing a need for internet users
to remain wary.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 11.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">Unprotected passwords</span></b><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 11.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">It appeared that looted Yahoo data did
not include unprotected passwords or information associated with payments
or bank accounts, the Silicon Valley company said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 11.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">Yahoo is asking affected users to
change passwords, and recommending anyone who has not done so since 2014 to
take the same action as a precaution.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 11.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">Users of Yahoo online services were
urged to review accounts for suspicious activity and change passwords and
security question information used to log in anywhere else if it matched that
at Yahoo.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 11.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">“Online intrusions and thefts by
state-sponsored actors have become increasingly common across the technology
industry,” Yahoo said in a statement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #EAEDF2; line-height: 18.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #444444; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">Yahoo and other companies have launched programs to
detect and notify users when a company strongly suspects that a state-sponsored
actor has targeted an account.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">$4.8
billion</span></b><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 11.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">Confirmation of the major cyber breach
comes two months after Yahoo sealed a deal to sell its core internet business
to telecom giant Verizon for $4.8 billion, ending a two-decade run as an
independent company.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 11.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">It was not immediately clear if the
data breach could impact the closing of the deal or the price agreed by
Verizon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 11.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">“Frankly, the timing couldn’t be worse
for Yahoo,” Cluley said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 11.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">The telecom firm said it was reviewing
the new information.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 11.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">“Within the last two days, we were
notified of Yahoo’s security incident,” Verizon said in a statement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 11.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">“We will evaluate as the investigation
continues through the lens of overall Verizon interests, including consumers,
customers, shareholders and related communities.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Fintan Lawlor - Data Protectionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12869198170403838391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6911236613452637821.post-1375177601812430152016-09-14T01:13:00.001-07:002016-09-14T01:13:33.321-07:00Austrian court refers Max Schrems’s Facebook case to ECJ<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.6pt; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span style="color: #515151; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Irish Times 14<sup>th</sup> September
2016 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> <span style="color: #444444;">Austrian student
Max Schrems’ high-profile class action case over Facebook’s privacy rules has
been referred to the European Court of Justice by Austria’s highest court.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">The court in Luxembourg will now have
to decide whether <a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/search/search-7.1213540?tag_person=Max%20Schrems&article=true"><span style="color: #23517a; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Max Schrems</span></a> can
bring a class action suit on behalf of European or even worldwide users of the
social network.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Mr Schrems launched a class action
suit against <a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/search/search-7.1213540?tag_company=Facebook&article=true"><span style="color: #23517a; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Facebook</span></a> on
behalf of 25,000 other people in 2014, accusing it of having invalid privacy
policies and processing customer data illegally.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Facebook argued that the Austrian
court did not have jurisdiction over the case, which slowly worked its way up
the Austrian legal system before being referred to the EU’s top court. The
company argues that Mr Schrems is not a consumer but an activist and so cannot
legally represent other consumers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.4pt; margin-left: 30.0pt; margin-top: 3.75pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #444444; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/business/technology/facebook-warns-eu-on-extending-telecoms-rules-to-online-firms-1.2767138"><span style="color: #515151; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Facebook warns
EU on extending telecoms rules to online firms</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.4pt; margin-left: 30.0pt; margin-top: 3.75pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #444444; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/business/technology/court-rules-data-watchdog-has-no-power-to-hold-oral-hearings-1.2756056"><span style="color: #515151; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Court rules data
watchdog has no power to hold oral hearings</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.4pt; margin-left: 30.0pt; margin-top: 3.75pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #444444; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/business/technology/facebook-and-max-schrems-united-in-dissatisfaction-with-dpc-1.2732795"><span style="color: #515151; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Facebook and Max
Schrems united in dissatisfaction with DPC</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Mr Schrems said he hoped the European
court would be “consumer friendly” when it decided the jurisdiction question,
praising it for having been so in previous cases. “Filing thousands of
individual lawsuits before thousands of courts would be an absurd exercise,” he
said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.2pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-outline-level: 4;">
<b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Procedural
questions<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">A spokeswoman for Facebook said: “Mr
Schrems’s claims have twice been rejected on the grounds that they cannot
proceed as ‘class action’ on behalf of other consumers in Austrian courts. We
look forward to addressing the procedural questions presented to the [European
Court of Justice] to resolve these claims.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">The referral is the latest twist in a
five-year dispute between Facebook and Mr Schrems, which began when he was a
student and has already upturned data protection law in the EU. Mr Schrems
founded the organisation Europe v Facebook, which he is funding from small
donations from “many concerned citizens” across Europe.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">In a landmark judgment last year, the
European Court of Justice struck down a crucial data transfer deal that allowed
the likes of Facebook and <a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/search/search-7.1213540?tag_company=Amazon&article=true"><span style="color: #23517a; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Amazon</span></a> to
transfer personal data easily from the EU to the US, following a complaint from
Mr Schrems.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">The court ruled that the deal was
invalid because the data of EU citizens were not sufficiently protected from US
spies. <a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/search/search-7.1213540?tag_person=Edward%20Snowden&article=true"><span style="color: #23517a; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Edward Snowden</span></a>,
the US National Security Agency whistleblower, praised Mr Schrems at the time,
saying he had changed the world for the better.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">A separate legal method of
transferring data across the Atlantic – known as model contract clauses – is
also under question in a related case in Ireland, again involving Mr Schrems.
These clauses are relied on by 80 per cent of companies that transfer data from
the EU to the US, lawyers estimate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Fintan Lawlor - Data Protectionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12869198170403838391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6911236613452637821.post-71606667490520228292016-08-15T09:27:00.002-07:002016-08-15T09:27:59.121-07:00Cyclists may breach data laws with on-board cameras<div align="center" style="margin-bottom: 10.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 10.5pt; text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Irish Examiner 02-08-2016<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">If a cyclist or homeowner uses footage from these cameras, beyond
a personal capacity, then they may be in breach of data-protection law.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">“If an individual is using CCTV or a body-worn camera and
processing personal data beyond what is a ‘personal or household activity’ then
they may assume the role of a data controller and as such they would be
required to comply with data protection legislation,” a spokesperson from the
DPC’s office said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">The issue came up in the commissioner’s annual report for 2015,
published in June, listing it as one of three major data protection matters
that arose.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">The spokesperson from the commissioner’s office stated however,
that where an individual processes data from such cameras for their own
personal affairs or keeps it for recreational purposes, this is exempt from the
data protection law.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">However, even if the activity is exempt a person such as a
neighbour might object to it and take a civil action.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">“Though outside the remit of this office, it may be the case that
even where this exemption does apply, an individual who objects to the
recording, for example a neighbour who objects to images of his or her property
being recorded, may be able to take a civil action based on the constitutional
and common law right to privacy,” said the spokesperson.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">The commissioner’s report also made an audit finding on the
excessive use of body-worn cameras.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">“Our general guidance in this area is that we would consider that
body-worn cameras should only be activated in extreme cases in response to
specific pre-defined criteria, where it could be justified for security and
safety purposes,” reads the report.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Fintan Lawlor - Data Protectionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12869198170403838391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6911236613452637821.post-72343838231304748142016-08-05T08:37:00.002-07:002016-08-05T08:37:23.100-07:00Tinder violates data protection rules: EU lawmaker<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 33.0pt; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; mso-outline-level: 1; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Tinder violates data protection rules: EU lawmaker</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 33.0pt; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; mso-outline-level: 1; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b style="line-height: 33pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; padding: 0cm;">The
Indian Times, 4<sup>th</sup> August 2016</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-line-height-alt: 7.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 20.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">An <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/European-Union"><span style="color: #3ca2c8;">EU</span></a> lawmaker says dating app <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/tech-news/Tinders-new-feature-lets-your-friends-know-who-you-are-dating/articleshow/52044283.cms"><span style="color: #3ca2c8;">Tinder</span></a> breaches the bloc's data
protection rules because it uses personal data without explicit consent and
should be investigated by the <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/European-Commission"><span style="color: #3ca2c8;">European Commission</span></a>.<br />
<br />
The dating app, owned by website operator Match Group Inc, imposes unlawful
conditions on users, pushing them to consent to unclear clauses that allow the
company to use their data even after they close their accounts, socialist
lawmaker <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Marc-Tarabella"><span style="color: #3ca2c8;">Marc Tarabella</span></a> said in a statement.<br />
<br />
"Once you subscribe, the company can do whatever it wants with your data.
It can show them, distribute them to whomever or even modify them. The lack of
transparency cannot be the rule," Tarabella said.<br />
<br />
The Belgian politician , who in 2014 was among the leading European parliament
members calling for a break-up of <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/tech-news/Google-wants-almost-entire-India-online/articleshow/53544946.cms"><span style="color: #3ca2c8;">Google</span></a> 's search engine from its
commercial services, also accused dating app Happn and jogging app Runkeeper of
violating EU data protection rules.<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 20.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">Tinder representatives were not
immediately available for comment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 20.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 20.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">A Commission spokeswoman said it was
up to national authorities to enforce EU rules on data and consumer protection.
However, the Commission has conducted such investigations in the past.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 20.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 20.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">"The problem is always the lack
of transparency and the notion of consent," Tarabella said, adding that
companies often sell users' data to third parties without consumers being aware
or having explicitly consented to it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 20.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 20.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">EU rules protect consumers who no longer want their data to be used.
Companies are also required to provide "easy-to-understand
information" and to obtain an explicit consent from users to process
personal data. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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Fintan Lawlor - Data Protectionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12869198170403838391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6911236613452637821.post-29304250838643802282016-07-14T01:05:00.001-07:002016-07-14T01:05:09.547-07:00Privacy Shield: The new EU rules on transatlantic data sharing will not protect you<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #515151; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">Irish Times, 12 July 2016 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">The European Union’s data protection laws are
intended to ensure that we can entrust personal data to our devices and online
services without fear of privacy violations. To make sure that this European
standard is not undermined, it is essential to clarify under which
circumstances personal data can be transferred to other countries – ones that
may not have the same privacy protection laws.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">The <a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/topics/european-commission"><span style="color: #23517a;">European Commission</span></a> will today adopt the
so-called Privacy Shield, which will allow companies to transfer personal data
from the EU to the<a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/search/search-7.1213540?tag_location=United%20States&article=true"><span style="color: #23517a;">United States</span></a>. It follows the European Court
of Justice ruling that the previous system for the transfer of data to the US,
called Safe Harbour, violated fundamental rights to privacy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">Does Privacy Shield protect the privacy of European
users when their data is sent to the United States? Various indicators suggest
it does not.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">With regard to the private sector, it is painfully
obvious that the rules give nowhere near the level of protection and principles
afforded by the EU. For example, if you share your personal information with
your doctor, you reasonably expect that he will only use this information for
the purpose of curing you – not to gossip behind your back. This expectation is
enshrined in EU law as “purpose limitation”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">Privacy Shield allows the sharing of your data for
very broad and generic purposes, such as “for all services we may provide to
you and others”. This undermines a very crucial protection. Many other data
protection rules, such as the deletion of data or the sharing of data, are
interlinked with this principle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">Privacy Shield is meant to be based on “notice and
choice”, which sounds promising. However, Privacy Shield does not give users
much “choice”. It actually gives companies a general blanket approval to use
the personal data of any person under the sun. Only in two specific cases can
users object.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">They would first have to know which US company was
using their data, and then contact the company and actively “opt out”. This gives
US companies a significant competitive advantage over European firms. Under the
European “opt-in” system, companies typically have to ask customers for
consent.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">In addition, the rules for legal redress are rather
complex. If European customers believe their rights have been violated, they
have to first contact private US arbitration bodies and their national
authorities, who in turn contact the US authorities, in order to be finally
able to address concerns with a “privacy shield board”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.2pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-outline-level: 4;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.2pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-outline-level: 4;">
<b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">No guarantees<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.2pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-outline-level: 4;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">None of this guarantees that the person responsible
for oversight will be empowered to actually review the practices of any company
and, for example, review servers and software. None of the options available
are directly enforceable by a customer. In sum, even if a company violates the
fundamental rights of a customer, it is very unlikely there will be any real
consequences.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">The rules concerning personal data in the public
sector are equally worrisome. In its Safe Harbour ruling, the European Court of
Justice strongly criticised mass-surveillance laws in the US, which have not
changed in the meantime. While US citizens enjoy certain protection against
surveillance measures, “non-US persons” are specifically exempted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">Not only does the final Privacy Shield use the
exact same wording on mass surveillance laws as Safe Harbor, but the US now
even admits that it will continue to collect personal data stemming from <a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/search/search-7.1213540?tag_location=Europe&article=true"><span style="color: #23517a;">Europe</span></a> in bulk.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">Blanket mass surveillance without any reasonable
suspicion is contrary to the principles of European human rights. European
courts have consequently ruled clearly against blanket access to personal data
for not being in line with the fundamental rights to privacy and data
protection.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">Legal redress against measures in the public sector
is little more than a farce. An EU citizen may address an ombudsperson in the
US, which is not a court or independent body, but an undersecretary of the US
government.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.2pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-outline-level: 4;">
<b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Confirm nor deny<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.2pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-outline-level: 4;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">While the new ombudsperson can raise issues within
the US government, the reply to the individual concerned will always contain
the same two sentences: first, the US will not confirm or deny any
surveillance; and, second, all US laws were adhered to, or any non-compliance
was remedied.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">This ombudsperson is not what the <a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/search/search-7.1213540?tag_organisation=Europe%20Court&article=true"><span style="color: #23517a;">Europe Court</span></a> of Justice meant when it
asked for individual redress.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">Privacy Shield needs to fulfil the criteria laid
down in <a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/search/search-7.1213540?tag_organisation=European%20Union&article=true"><span style="color: #23517a;">European Union</span></a> law and by its courts,
which have clearly stated that blanket data collection is not compatible with
the fundamental right to data protection.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">This is also a problem for European businesses that
are obliged to meet EU data protection standards but which will, under Privacy
Shield, face competition from US companies who face no such obligation. Nor
does this new deal provide legal certainty for the industry that is so
desperately needed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">The European Commission should hold off on
activating Privacy Shield until more work is done on the US side. Given the
countless insufficiencies, it is otherwise highly likely that the new Privacy
Shield will share the history of the previous Safe Harbor and be invalidated by
the European Court of Justice<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Fintan Lawlor - Data Protectionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12869198170403838391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6911236613452637821.post-42167526188683652342016-07-07T03:10:00.001-07:002016-07-07T03:10:12.827-07:00Proposed legislation allowing snooping may not be in line with EU rulings <div style="background: white;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "TimesDigital-Regular","serif";">The Minister for Justice Francis Fitzgerald has obtained cabinet approval in relation to legislation that will allow Gardai </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: TimesDigital-Regular, serif;">to intercept emails and social media
messages, which will include Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp and other social networks. The move comes after Gardai investigating organised crime raised concerns that criminals were communicating online, outside the remit of surveillance laws. </span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: TimesDigital-Regular, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: TimesDigital-Regular, serif;">There is concern that the proposed legislation will not be in line with a ruling of the European Court of Justice which effectively through out a proposal for similar legislation. We cannot foresee the implications such legislation will have on privacy rights or data protection issues. Furthermore such legislation may not be in line with EU rulings. </span></div>
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<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1.8rem; line-height: 3rem; margin: 3rem;">
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Fintan Lawlor - Data Protectionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12869198170403838391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6911236613452637821.post-68574733241941750242016-07-04T06:21:00.001-07:002016-07-04T06:21:19.378-07:00Private Investigator prosecuted by Data Protection Commissioner<div style="margin-bottom: 10.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 10.5pt;">
<strong><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; padding: 0cm;">Private Investigator James Cowley</span><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; padding: 0cm;"> </span></strong><span style="color: #111111;">pleaded guilty to 13 charges under Section 22 of the Data
Protection Act for unlawfully obtaining access to personal data and disclosing
it to third parties without authorisation of the Department of Social
Protection. He had been hired by Permanent TSB, Zurich, Alliance and the State
Claims Agency to carry out surveillance on claimants. The prosecution has been welcomed
by the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner. It was the third successful
prosecution by the ODPC in the last two years in relation to offences committed
by private investigators. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 10.5pt;">
<span style="color: #333333;">The Data Protection Commissioner, Helen Dixon said
the following in relation to the prosecution, “This outcome is a strong signal
to private investigators that they must fully comply with data protection
legislation. As this case highlights, where private investigators fail to
comply with the law they will be rigorously pursued and prosecuted for
offending behaviour. It is also a timely reminder to all companies and
businesses which hire private investigators of their responsibilities under the
Data Protection Acts to ensure that all work carried out on their behalf by
private investigators is done lawfully. I would urge public bodies and private
sector organisations who appoint private investigators to review their terms of
engagement, in order to satisfy themselves that any means of collection of
personal data used by the investigators they hire are in line with the
law."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 10.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 10.5pt;">
<span style="color: #333333;">Fintan Lawlor, Lawlor Partners Solicitors, was
the first solicitor in Ireland to secure compensation for a data subject whose
rights had been breached under the Data Protection Acts 1988 and 2003. The plaintiff
in the case of Collins v FBD has been pursued by a private investigator. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Fintan Lawlor - Data Protectionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12869198170403838391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6911236613452637821.post-49633021468817707942016-05-12T04:01:00.000-07:002016-05-12T04:02:50.818-07:00A New Parliamentary Investigation Unit Established<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVRXvD-dFblGUVVzEx9Nmry6COS1UK6PfsNz4mpE-LKzKnNeLZZxMMPjiqNh1Z140dz_nYBO48NtAqr_51l0upsCYHoujKFxyFxNmKXHago_WxcOkaRRSheMRVMjDf641Jh7w8ffFFgE1R/s1600/Oireachtas_Img.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVRXvD-dFblGUVVzEx9Nmry6COS1UK6PfsNz4mpE-LKzKnNeLZZxMMPjiqNh1Z140dz_nYBO48NtAqr_51l0upsCYHoujKFxyFxNmKXHago_WxcOkaRRSheMRVMjDf641Jh7w8ffFFgE1R/s200/Oireachtas_Img.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Lawlor Partners Solicitors welcome the commitment given by the government today in ‘<b>a programme for partnership government</b>’ that a new parliamentary investigation unit will be established to assist and improve the ability of the Oireachtas committees to conduct investigative work and inquiries.<br />
<br />
Lawlor Partners has extensive experience in advising and representing clients at all stages of the inquiry process.<br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: #003468; padding: 15px;">
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Fintan Lawlor - Data Protectionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12869198170403838391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6911236613452637821.post-7340571292128255822016-04-20T11:03:00.002-07:002016-04-20T11:03:48.748-07:00CCTV images of illegal dumpers raise privacy concer<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.2pt; margin-bottom: 3.75pt; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">CCTV images of
illegal dumpers raise privacy concerns<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #888888; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">Tue, Apr 12, 2016, 01:00 Updated: Tue, Apr 12, 2016, 08:41<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">The Data Protection Commissioner has contacted <a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/search/search-7.1213540?tag_organisation=Dublin%20City%20Council&article=true"><span style="color: #23517a;">Dublin City Council</span></a> over its use of
images of people captured on CCTV illegally dumping household waste.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">The council last week erected a poster in a litter blackspot in the
north inner city, showing 12 people caught on CCTV dumping rubbish on the
street.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">The faces are slightly blurred, due to the quality of the CCTV footage,
but they would be able to identify themselves, as most likely would their
neighbours, the council said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">The poster has been bolted to a wall behind a Perspex shield at
Frankfort Cottages, near the Five Lamps, one of the city’s worst areas for
illegal dumping. CCTV cameras were installed a number of weeks ago and they had
some effect in reducing dumping.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">However, within a day of the poster going up last week, the street was
clear.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">“It was remarkable. For the last 10 years we’ve had signage there
warning people not to illegally dump, but every day we would have to clear up
bags, and sofas and other furniture, and even builders’ rubble, but this poster
has made such a difference,” said John McPartlan, public domain officer with
the council.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Rights to privacy<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">However, yesterday morning the commissioner’s office contacted the
council.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">“Officials from this office have contacted the DCC in relation to the
publication of CCTV stills.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">“It should be pointed out that the processing of personal data must be
done fairly, demonstrate proportionality and not be overly prejudicial to the
fundamental right of the individual to data privacy.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">Mr McPartlan said he would be responding to the commissioner this week.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">“We have to make a case that our use of the images is proportionate
response to the issue, and our view is that it is, because illegal dumping
leaves the city in a terrible mess.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">He added the council had published no names and no personal information.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">The poster shows people dumping refuse sacks and smaller supermarket
bags, as well as a woman dumping a suitcase and two young men dumping a sofa.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Litter blackspot<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.2pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-outline-level: 4;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">The council has been making concerted efforts to clean up the north
inner city, but the area has languished near the bottom of the Irish Business
Against Litter (Ibal) national survey, although it recently moved up from 39th
to 37th most littered urban area.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">The council in December 2013 announced a “blitz” on dumping black spots
in the city where residents leave their rubbish in the streets instead of
paying for waste collection.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">It established a north inner city litter action group which has gone
door to door asking people to provide proof they are disposing of their waste
legally, and has had some success in persuading households to sign up to pay to
have their bins collected.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">However, no measure has had the instant effect of the poster. Local
Independent councillor <a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/search/search-7.1213540?tag_person=Nial%20Ring&article=true"><span style="color: #23517a;">Nial Ring</span></a> said he and other local
councillors “fully endorsed” the measure.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">“This is the nearest we can get to a name and shame policy. I would
recommend that we get more CCTV cameras and put up more posters because it has
got results.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">“We don’t want to be in the Ibal relegation zone, we want to be the <a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/search/search-7.1213540?tag_location=Leicester&article=true"><span style="color: #23517a;">Leicester</span></a>City of the litter league.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Fintan Lawlor - Data Protectionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12869198170403838391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6911236613452637821.post-4209945204982003182016-04-20T11:01:00.001-07:002016-04-20T11:01:26.741-07:00European Parliament passes tougher data protection laws<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 3.75pt;">
<span style="color: #888888; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">Irish Times Apr 14,
2016<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">The <a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/search/search-7.1213540?tag_organisation=European%20Parliament&article=true"><span style="color: #23517a; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">European
Parliament</span></a> has voted through tougher rules on data protection,
aimed at boosting privacy and giving authorities greater powers to take action
against companies that breach the rules.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">The rules, including the much-needed General <a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/search/search-7.1213540?tag_topic=Data&article=true"><span style="color: #23517a; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Data</span></a> Protection
Regulation (GDPR), were four years in the making and form the new backbone of
laws for data regulators to pursue companies with heavy fines - as much as 4
per cent of annual turnover for global companies - for incidents such as data
breaches, which have become increasingly common.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/search/search-7.1213540?tag_person=Viviane%20Reding&article=true"><span style="color: #23517a; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Viviane Reding</span></a>,
MEP and former vice-president of the <a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/topics/european-commission"><span style="color: #23517a; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">European
Commission</span></a>who proposed the changes in 2012, said: “This is a
historic day for Europe. This reform will restore trust in digital services
today, thereby reigniting the engine for growth tomorrow.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">“There can be no freedom without security, and no security without
freedom. Today’s concomitant adoption of these three legislations sends a
strong signal that national security and data protection can and must go hand
in hand.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">National rules<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">The new data privacy laws comprise of the GDPR, which governs the use
and privacy of EU citizens’ data, and the Data Protection Directive, which
governs the use of EU citizens’ data by law enforcement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">Together they aim to create strong data protection law for Europe’s 500
million citizens; streamline legislation between the 28 member states pushing a
digital single market and boost police and security cooperation. It is due to
replace the outdated patchwork of national rules that have only allowed for
small fines in cases of violation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">The new laws have already proved controversial with companies wishing to
operate with EU citizens’ data, placing an administrative burden on some,
including those based outside of Europe.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">The next step in strengthening of data regulation across the EU is an
overhaul of the ePrivacy Directive, which will now commence in earnest, to
bring it inline with the changes laid out in the GDPR.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Passenger name data<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">The European Parliament also voted through the EU Passenger Name Record
(PNR), which aims to aid law enforcement in tracking people’s movement across
Europe.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">EC’s first vice-president <a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/search/search-7.1213540?tag_person=Frans%20Timmermans&article=true"><span style="color: #23517a; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Frans Timmermans</span></a>,
vice-president of the Digital Single Market Andrus Ansip, and Commissioner for
Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality <a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/search/search-7.1213540?tag_person=Vera%20Jourova&article=true"><span style="color: #23517a; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Vera Jourova</span></a>,
said: “These new rules come at a time when improved cooperation in the fight
against terrorism and other serious crime is more necessary than ever, as shown
by the recent terrorist attacks in Paris and Brussels.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">Ms Reding added: “Faced with the transnational nature of the digital
revolution and the fight against terror, EU-wide rules are the only solution to
our problems.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">“PNR is an important tool to track terrorists flying in and out of
Europe in a much wider toolkit, which should also include the systematic
sharing of information in all EU databases.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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Fintan Lawlor - Data Protectionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12869198170403838391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6911236613452637821.post-37118686688537708072016-01-28T09:38:00.001-08:002016-04-24T20:16:11.647-07:00Minister says data protection commissioner is independent<span style="color: #666666; font-size: xx-small;">RTE News 28th January 2016</span><br />
<br />
<h3>
The Minister for European Affairs and Data Protection has defended the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner, saying it is completely independent of government.</h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUIxjjtYUua_e_1ZC-aAkC5RIiAF8KMgsKKkaNyxE3HWxz6c7xWmxOoAPpJiZUH53-hS9WlvUxG3VAGDj5dUD_PAD7DFaEGkMtEPPYorwEbeORD8jCta8isdxhOAGkiPR2cNE5Fgbk52hh/s1600/Statement+released+to+mark+tenth+annual+Data+Protection+Day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUIxjjtYUua_e_1ZC-aAkC5RIiAF8KMgsKKkaNyxE3HWxz6c7xWmxOoAPpJiZUH53-hS9WlvUxG3VAGDj5dUD_PAD7DFaEGkMtEPPYorwEbeORD8jCta8isdxhOAGkiPR2cNE5Fgbk52hh/s320/Statement+released+to+mark+tenth+annual+Data+Protection+Day.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Minister Dara Murphy was responding to the news that Digital Rights Ireland is to take legal action against the Government, challenging whether the office is truly an independent data authority under EU law.<br />
<br />
DRI says a series of judgments from the EU's top court have stressed the critical importance of a truly independent data protection authority.<br />
<br />
However, DRI says it will claim in court that Ireland has failed to properly implement EU data protection law or follow the requirements of the Charter of Fundamental Rights by failing to ensure the Irish ODPC is genuinely independent from government.<br />
<br />
Speaking to RTÉ News, Mr Murphy said he was aware of the impending case, but said it would be up to the courts to decide.<br />
<br />
He added that the ODPC and its functions are completely independent of government.<br />
<br />
He acknowledged that the ODPC is government funded, but said apart from that it is like many other agencies in the state that are independent of government.<br />
<br />
Mr Murphy also defended the public sector's attitude to data protection, following criticism earlier today from Data Protection Commissioner, Helen Dixon.<br />
<br />
The minister said improvements in compliance with data protection rules are needed across society including Government departments and the public sector generally.<br />
<br />
But he said the new European General Data Protection Regulation will change and strengthen data protection rules.<br />
<br />
He added he had recently brought local authorities and semi-state companies together to impress upon them the strong obligations they have in this area.<br />
<br />
He said public bodies are engaging, although that doesn't mean there is not more work to be done in the area.<br />
<br />
On the controversy around the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission's accessing of journalists phone records, Mr Murphy said the Minister for Justice was right to commission an investigation into it, as it is absolutely essential that citizens have confidence in any state agency that processes or handles their data.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Commissioner critical of compliance levels </b><br />
<br />
Earlier, Ms Dixon criticised the level of compliance with data protection laws in the public sector.<br />
<br />
Ms Dixon released a statement setting out priorities for data protection rights and protocol in 2016 to mark the tenth annual Data Protection Day.<br />
<br />
In particular, she has called for improvements to the legislative process to ensure greater deliberation and scrutiny of issues that interfere with the fundamental right to data protection.<br />
<br />
The commissioner acknowledged data protection is not an absolute right and in certain circumstances, must yield to other competing rights.<br />
<br />
However, she also stated that if a public body is going to interfere with data protection rights, it must generally be provided for by law, be proportionate, necessary and made in the general interest or need to protect others rights.<br />
<br />
Ms Dixon concludes that consideration must be given to all of these matters when drafting legislation.
Her pointed comments come as her office prepares to begin an audit of contentious powers used by several public bodies, including An Garda Síochána and GSOC, to access telephone records and other electronic messages.<br />
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<div style="background-color: #003468; padding: 15px;">
<span style="color: #f9f9f9; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Fintan Lawlor is a dedicated data protection consultant and solicitor at Lawlor Partners. For more information see our website : </span><a href="http://www.lawlorpartners.ie/" style="border: 0px; color: #62abde; font-family: 'open sans', arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: all 0.07s ease-in; vertical-align: baseline;">www.lawlorpartners.ie</a></div>
Fintan Lawlor - Data Protectionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12869198170403838391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6911236613452637821.post-80829828172961355142016-01-15T09:09:00.000-08:002016-03-23T05:50:23.608-07:00Employers can read office hours messages sent by workers <span style="font-size: x-small;">Irish Times Wed, Jan 13, 2016</span><br />
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<i>Employers can read office hours messages sent by workers - court
Company within its rights to read messages sent by employee during work, ECHR says</i><br />
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A European court ruling that an employer was within its rights to read the private emails of a worker is not expected to have implications for Irish workplace practices.<br />
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In a case before the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg, judges ruled that a company which had read an employee’s messages sent through Yahoo Messenger while he was at work was within its rights to do so.<br />
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The ruling said the man, an engineer in Romania, had breached company policy and his employer had a right to check if he was completing his work.<br />
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Bogdan Mihai Barbulescu (35) was employed by a private company as an engineer in charge of sales. At his employer’s request, he created a Yahoo Messenger account for the purpose of responding to clients’ enquiries.<br />
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The company informed him in July 2007 that records showed he had used the internet for personal purposes, contrary to its rules. He insisted in writing that he had only used the messaging app for work purposes, but was then presented with a 45-page transcript of his communications with his brother and his fiancée.
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The ECHR said the employer had acted within its disciplinary powers.<br />
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<br />
<ul>
<li>Privacy can no longer be a low-level, box-checking exercise</li>
<li>EU data protection reform may promise more than it deliver</li>
<li>Data protection reform increases Ireland’s role</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
The ruling affects all EU countries that have ratified the European Convention on Human Rights, which includes Ireland.<br />
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In passing down the ruling, the judges stated that unregulated spying on employees would not be acceptable, and called on a set of polices to be drawn up by employers that would clearly state what information they could collect and how.<br />
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Many employers in Ireland already have workplace policies on internet use and write them into contracts.<br />
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Dr TJ McIntyre, chairman of the privacy rights body Digital Rights Ireland, said the ECHR decision in the Romanian case was likely to be “quite narrow”.<br />
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“It’s about communication on the employer’s own devices and in circumstances where private use was prohibited and where the individual said it was only professional use.<br />
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“It doesn’t necessarily change the position that unless you’ve been very explicitly warned that your communications can be monitored that it would still be illegal to do so.”<br />
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Mr McIntyre said there was often a “blurring of the lines” between the personal and the professional, such as where people sometimes used their own devices for professional communications.<br />
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“It’s potentially dangerous in that sense. Any situation where the employer has the capacity to read your messages is one where you should be worried.”<br />
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The Data Protection Commissioner has taken the view that people can be expected to have “a certain degree of privacy in their communications on employers’ equipment, unless it’s explicitly ruled out”.<br />
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The DPC’s guidance says the limitation of the employee’s right to privacy should be “proportionate to the likely damage to the employer’s legitimate interests”.<br />
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“In the absence of a clear policy, employees may be assumed to have a reasonable expectation of privacy in the workplace,” the office says.
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<div style="background-color: #003468; padding: 15px;">
<span style="color: #f9f9f9; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Fintan Lawlor is a dedicated data protection consultant and solicitor at Lawlor Partners. For more information see our website : </span><a href="http://www.lawlorpartners.ie/" style="border: 0px; color: #62abde; font-family: 'open sans', arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: all 0.07s ease-in; vertical-align: baseline;">www.lawlorpartners.ie</a></div>
Fintan Lawlor - Data Protectionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12869198170403838391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6911236613452637821.post-12441682577993705442016-01-07T09:27:00.001-08:002016-03-23T05:46:03.374-07:00Data protection reform increases Ireland’s role<span style="font-size: x-small;">Irish Time Wed, Dec 16, 2015 - <a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/profile/pamela-newenham-7.1010668">Pamela Newenham</a></span><br />
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As the majority of the world’s largest tech companies have their European headquarters in Ireland, the Irish Data Protection Commissioner will effectively have to regulate data issues for those companies’ operations throughout the EU<br />
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Sweeping reform of data protection law, approved by European Union officials last night, aims to subject companies to just one regulator.<br />
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The so-called one-stop- shop system means companies won’t have to deal with a different regulator in each country where they operate. They will only have to deal with the regulator in the country where their European headquarters is located.<br />
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The problem was highlighted in the Belgian Privacy Commission’s court case against Facebook. The social network argued it only had to answer to the regulator in Ireland where its European headquarters is based.<br />
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<h3>
Headquarters </h3>
As the majority of the world’s largest tech companies have their European headquarters in Ireland, the Irish Data Protection Commissioner will effectively have to regulate data issues for those companies’ operations throughout the EU.<br />
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Irish MEP Seán Kelly said Ireland is prepared for the changes, with a near doubling of the Data Protection Commissioner’s budget, and an increase in staff at the office from 29 to 50.<br />
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The new law, if passed, will also require companies to report privacy breaches to authorities or face heavy penalties.<br />
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Companies will have to alert national authorities of a data breach within 72 hours.<br />
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A problem with current data protection laws is that regulators can only levy fines which are small in comparison to the revenues of the companies involved.<br />
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The threat of sanctions of 4 per cent of global revenues – the figure was negotiated last night – will ensure businesses are more mindful of data protection, according to lawyers.<br />
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“It will be a deterrent which is the most important thing. If it wasn’t a deterrent, companies would just break the law, pay the fine and get on with it,” Mr Kelly said.<br />
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<h3>
Data controllers </h3>
John Higgins, director general of Digital Europe, the organisation which represents the digital technology industry in Europe, said questions still linger on topics such as the allocation of roles and responsibilities between data controllers and data processors.<br />
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“During a period of economic recovery, European citizens and businesses cannot afford regulation which unnecessarily stifles job creation, competitiveness and data-driven investment,” he added.<br />
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He said adherence to the self-imposed end of 2015 deadline for reaching an agreement must not come at any cost.<br />
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“While we understand the pressure facing negotiators to reach an agreement during yesterday’s trilogue discussions, it must not come at any price.<br />
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<div style="background-color: #003468; padding: 15px;">
<span style="color: #f9f9f9; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Fintan Lawlor is a dedicated data protection consultant and solicitor at Lawlor Partners. For more information see our website : </span><a href="http://www.lawlorpartners.ie/" style="border: 0px; color: #62abde; font-family: 'open sans', arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: all 0.07s ease-in; vertical-align: baseline;">www.lawlorpartners.ie</a></div>
Fintan Lawlor - Data Protectionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12869198170403838391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6911236613452637821.post-30602465970326544732015-03-26T10:39:00.002-07:002016-03-23T06:31:09.408-07:00Increase seen in law suits for failing to protect personal data<span style="font-size: x-small;">Thu, Mar 26, 2015</span><br />
<h3>
Increase seen in law suits for failing to protect personal data</h3><br />
<i><span style="color: #666666;">Data Protection Commissioner Helen Dixon said there had been an increase in the number of civil cases taken against organisations for failing to protect personal data.</span></i><br />
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Conference hears case against government department settled before court hearing<br />
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There has been in increase in the number of civil law actions taken against organisations and even government departments for failing to protect people’s personal information, a conference has heard.<br />
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Such an action against one government department for allegedly breaching a person’s data protection rights settled ahead of a listed court hearing this week.<br />
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The action, understood to have been against the Department of Social Protection, is one of an increasing number of such cases being taken against companies or public bodies that allegedly fail in their duty of care to protect people’s personal information.<br />
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The issue was raised at a Public Affairs Ireland (PAI) data protection conference in Dublin on Wednesday.<br />
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Several such cases under the Data Protection Acts have been listed for hearing in the past year or so, but they have generally been settled on the steps of the court.<br />
<br />
They included the case of a woman who sued a pharmacist for allowing her husband view CCTV footage which showed her buying a pregnancy test. Another such case involved a GP who handed over excessive personal information about a patient to an insurance company.<br />
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The actions are taken under section 7 of the Data Protection Acts, which provide that a data controller owes a duty of care to individuals in respect of the personal information it collects or processes.<br />
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Data Protection Commissioner Helen Dixon told the PAI conference there had really been “no activity” in relation to such civil lawsuits until “very recently” but that there were now “quite a number of cases” where people were taking actions under section 7 of the Acts.<br />
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The commissioner cannot impose direct fines on organisations that fail to respect data protection rights. This will change under proposals in a new European data protection regulation currently being negotiated.<br />
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Ms Dixon also noted a recent case involving a GP who had handed over excessive personal data about a patient to an insurance company. Her office had been called as a witness. The case was settled after a day in court.<br />
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“In that particular case, the witness from the [Data Protection Commissioner] said that it really had huge impact on them to hear the data subject in that case set out for the court the damage that was suffered as a result of that unfair disclosure of their data – the excessive data disclosure – to the insurance company.”<br />
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The person had gone on to suffer enormous health problems as a result of the data breach.<br />
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Ms Dixon said she was aware of another case listed that had directly involved a government department, but it had been settled out of court.<br />
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While she did not identify the government department concerned, the commissioner said she imagined the person in question had been paid damages.<br />
<br />
Rob Corbet, a partner and Head of Technology and Innovation at Arthur Cox, also confirmed in his speech to the event that there had been an increase in the number of people suing for breaches of their data protection rights.<br />
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The commissioner reminded those in the public sector of their responsibilities in relation to handling personal data, noting her office had successfully prosecuted private investigators last year for offences involving the ‘blagging’ of people’s personal details from a government department.<br />
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Ms Dixon said that over 100 data breaches involving public sector bodies were reported to her office every year.<br />
<br />
“Fortunately, in most instances in recent years these have concerned breaches that are really non-systemic and haven’t affected a great volume of data subjects.”<br />
<br />
Minister for Data Protection Dara Murphy, who also addressed the event, spoke about the Government’s key priorities for the year.<br />
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He said he had established an inter-departmental committee on data issues, bringing together the key individuals dealing with data protection in each government department.<br />
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Mr Murphy said the committee would assist in the delivery of “more effective public policy through the improved use of data”.<br />
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He said exciting advances in technology created huge potential for society and for the economy.<br />
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Departments and State agencies needed to show leadership and commitment to data protection rules as they evolved over the next year, during which a conclusion to negotiations on the new European General Data Protection Regulation is expected, he said.<br />
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The minister said the committee’s engagement would be formalised in the coming weeks with the establishment of a “data issues forum”, with input from business, civil society and other key stakeholders.<br />
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Dr Eoin O’Dell, Associate Professor of Law at Trinity College Dublin, addressed the conference on the challenges posed for privacy by new technologies and the Internet of Things.<br />
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He said that increasingly, the kind of personal and public data becoming available, as well as the sharing of public sector information and datasets online, would have an impact on decision-making processes.<br />
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“All of this is heading towards a nice, bright Utopian future. But, I think that this rhetoric needs to be accompanied by an attention to privacy, both on our own part in the creation of the data, and in our professional lives in the use of the data.”
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<div style="background-color: #003468; padding: 15px;">
<span style="color: #f9f9f9; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Fintan Lawlor is a dedicated data protection consultant and solicitor at Lawlor Partners. For more information see our website : </span><a href="http://www.lawlorpartners.ie/" style="border: 0px; color: #62abde; font-family: 'open sans', arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: all 0.07s ease-in; vertical-align: baseline;">www.lawlorpartners.ie</a></div>Fintan Lawlor - Data Protectionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12869198170403838391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6911236613452637821.post-2772767542863185062015-01-21T09:31:00.001-08:002016-03-23T09:06:08.536-07:00Alan Shatter loses appeal against Mick Wallace data ruling<span style="font-size: x-small;">Irish Times, 21st January 2015</span><br />
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Former minister for justice Alan Shatter has lost his appeal against a decision by the Data Protection Commissioner that he breached data protection laws by disclosing information about Independent TD Mick Wallace on RTE’s Prime Time.<br />
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The commissioner found that Mr Shatter had failed to uphold his statutory duties under the Data Protection Act by disclosing during a televised interview in 2013 that Mr Wallace had been cautioned by gardaí for using a mobile phone while driving. Mr Shatter had appealed that decision to the Circuit Civil Court, arguing that the commissioner had pre-determined the matter before he made his finding.<br />
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Dismissing Mr Shatter’s appeal on Wednesday, Judge Jacqueline Linnane said that in her view the commissioner had considered the matter fully. She said the commissioner had taken into account the arguments put forward by Mr Shatter, that fair procedures were followed and that reasons were given for the final decision.<br />
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“I do not consider that it has been shown that the decision made was vitiated by any serious or significant error or series of such errors,” Judge Linnane said.<br />
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She also said the argument that Mr Shatter did not have standing to take the appeal was “well founded”, as his actions at the time had been carried out in his capacity as minister for justice.<br />
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Commenting on the judgment, Mr Wallace said it was a “good decision” and that Mr Shatter had pulled a political stroke by divulging details of his caution.<br />
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“I was very surprised that the minister did what he did. It seemed a bit out of character at the time. I think the data commissioner though was very, very thorough in how he analysed the whole thing,” the Wexford TD said.<br />
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In his appeal, Mr Shatter had claimed the commissioner pre-judged his inquiry into his actions on Prime Time and made “serious errors” in deciding that he breached data protection laws.<br />
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Eileen Barrington SC, for Mr Shatter, had told the court last November that the decision had consequences for the former minister “personally, politically and professionally” and was “a factor” in his resignation last May.<br />
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Ms Barrington said there was a “clear absence” of fair procedures in the commissioner’s decision-making process. She told the court on the same day that Mr Wallace lodged a complaint against Mr Shatter, the commissioner made a statement to RTÉ News to the effect that personal data had been disclosed during the Prime Time debate. This showed a “predetermination of matters” and was “quite inappropriate”.<br />
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She said that in a letter to Mr Shatter the following day, the commissioner said he was satisfied that personal data about Mr Wallace had been processed by the then minister. “The DPC wrongly started the process with the expression of a conclusion,” she said, adding that there appeared to be a “rush to judgment”.<br />
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Ms Barrington said the Data Protection Commissioner’s decision was “flawed” and wrongly applied definitions in the data protection laws. Mr Shatter could not be a “joint controller” of personal data, as the Data Protection Commissioner stated, because he “clearly” did not control its content and use. The information about Mr Wallace was passed to him orally by the Garda Commissioner and he never saw any relevant written records.<br />
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Barrister Paul Anthony McDermott, for the commissioner, had told the court that Mr Shatter had no right to take the appeal. He said that at all stages the complaint to the commissioner was made against the minister for justice, “who happened to be Mr Shatter at the time.”<br />
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Mr Shatter’s correspondence with the commissioner, on ministerial headed notepaper, made clear that he had acted at all times in his capacity as minister, Mr McDermott said, and the only person who could take such an appeal was Frances Fitzgerald, the current minister for justice.<br />
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“Mr Alan Shatter the private citizen wouldn’t have been given the information by the (Garda) commissioner, wouldn’t have been invited on Prime Time and wouldn’t have deployed the information in defence of the gardaí,” Mr McDermott said.<br />
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“This appeal failed from the outset because it is brought by someone who doesn’t have a right to take an appeal.”<br />
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<div style="background-color: #003468; padding: 15px;">
<span style="color: #f9f9f9; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Fintan Lawlor is a dedicated data protection consultant and solicitor at Lawlor Partners. For more information see our website : </span><a href="http://www.lawlorpartners.ie/" style="border: 0px; color: #62abde; font-family: 'open sans', arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: all 0.07s ease-in; vertical-align: baseline;">www.lawlorpartners.ie</a></div>
Fintan Lawlor - Data Protectionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12869198170403838391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6911236613452637821.post-77516326195266456072014-12-17T05:31:00.001-08:002016-03-23T09:39:01.767-07:00Welfare staff opposed giving PPS numbers to Irish Water<span style="font-size: x-small;">Irish Times 13th December 2014</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photograph: Cyril Byrne/The Irish Times</span></td></tr>
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<br />
Staff at the Department of Social Protection vigorously opposed the handing over of PPS numbers – particularly of children – to Irish Water, it has emerged.<br />
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Emails released under Freedom of Information legislation show Irish Water (IW) was seeking a “data dump” from the department, including information on all children for whom child benefit was paid.<br />
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Documents also show the utility failed to engage with the department on the question of accessing the data until weeks after Irish Water started posting application forms to households in September.<br />
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These forms sought PPS numbers of householders and any children who were eligible for child benefit.<br />
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It said these were necessary in order for it to apply Government allowances for water charges and it expected the department would verify them once customers had handed them over.<br />
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<b>Implications questioned</b> However, staff in the department questioned the data protection implications of handing over the PPS numbers and their obligations under official secrets legislation.<br />
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Secretary general of the department, Niamh O’Donoghue, told staff the utility was to “get nothing” until it wrote to her formally, which it did not do until September 18th – several weeks after it started media advertising and sending out packs to householders.<br />
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As late as October, an internal department email following a meeting with Irish Water said the utility had given the issue “little thought, so this discussion will go on for a wee while”.<br />
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It added: “We are making progress as you will see, but DSP objective is to protect its data, its reputation and minimise its commitment while being supportive to IW as directed in the Government decision (on water charges).” <b>Email exchanges</b> There are concerns throughout six months’ worth of email exchanges about “very limited” contact from Irish Water, with one document expressing concern the department “may be blamed for shortfalls in IW performance”.<br />
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The department documents indicate it was “pushing back strongly” on Irish Water’s request that it verify a customer was a recipient of child benefit.<br />
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Department officials ultimately conceded it seemed “likely” the utility was entitled to get the information it was seeking, but certain information could not be provided unless it was to allow some “fishing”.<br />
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The Social Welfare & Pensions Act, signed into law in July, amended the law to add Irish Water to the list of ‘specified’ bodies allowed to ask for PPS numbers.<br />
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But the requirement for customers to hand over this information to the utility was eventually dropped when Minister for the Environment Alan Kelly announced a revised package of measures on water charges in November.<br />
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Reaction expected Department official Tony Kieran of the child benefit (CB) section in Letterkenny told colleagues in emails he expected a major public reaction and had made it clear to Irish Water in a meeting in June his section would “not be dealing with phone or other queries on this”.<br />
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“I have serious reservations about providing a wide-ranging data dump as I believe we (DSP and CB) will be dealing with a lot of fallout and get into arguments that have nothing to do with our schemes. This is without even considering the data protection implications of such an approach.”<br />
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By July, Mr Kieran was expressing concern that he was hearing radio ads from Irish Water stating correspondence would issue to the public shortly and that, as yet, it had not been back in touch with the department or drafted up any rules to apply to crediting water allowances.
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<span style="color: #f9f9f9; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Fintan Lawlor is a dedicated data protection consultant and solicitor at Lawlor Partners. For more information see our website : </span><a href="http://www.lawlorpartners.ie/" style="border: 0px; color: #62abde; font-family: 'open sans', arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: all 0.07s ease-in; vertical-align: baseline;">www.lawlorpartners.ie</a></div>
Fintan Lawlor - Data Protectionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12869198170403838391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6911236613452637821.post-40334245238580508602014-11-24T07:24:00.001-08:002014-11-24T07:24:22.960-08:00Private investigator fined €5,000 for accessing Garda data
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.6pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Irish Times 24<sup>th</sup>
November 2014 <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A private investigator have been convicted on two charges of illegally
obtaining information from the Garda Pulse system. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/search/search-7.1213540?tag_person=Michael%20J%20Gaynor&article=true"><span style="color: #003399; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Michael J Gaynor</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">,
trading as MJG Investigations, Beatty Grove, Celbridge, Co Kildare, was before
Dublin District Court facing a prosecution by the Data Protection Commissioner.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mr Gaynor (62) faced three charges of illegally accessing personal
information held by An </span><a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/search/search-7.1213540?tag_organisation=Garda%20Síochána&article=true"><span style="color: #003399; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Garda Síochána</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
and of disclosing it without authority, under the provisions of section 22 (1)
of the Data Protection Acts 1988 and 2003.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">He was convicted on two of those charges and fined €2,500 for each
offence.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Judge John O’Neill said that in his view Mr Gaynor had not given
convincing evidence of why he was contacting a serving garda.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mr Gaynor pleaded guilty to 69 other charges but pleads not guilty on
the three related to accessing the Garda information. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Remy Farrell SC for the Data Protection Commissioner told the court Mr
Gaynor had allegedly provided tracing reports to three credit unions - in
Balbriggan, Lucan and Citybus Credit Union - on individuals they hoped to take
action against for non-payment of debts.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">He had allegedly obtained the information from Detective Garda Paul
Cullen, a member of the Garda National Immigration Bureau, who had “little
cause to be accessing information” on the three individuals concerned.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Assistant data protection commissioner Tony Delaney told the court that
in an interview with Det Garda Cullen at the GNIB headquarters on March 18th
2014, the garda had admitted accessing all the records on the individuals
concerned. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After questioning Det Garda Cullen for several minutes in the witness
box, Mr Farrell made an application to have him treated as a hostile witness.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The detective contended Mr Gaynor, with whom had served as a garda for
about 20 years, was in fact an “informal informant” who would telephone him
from time to time with information about individuals who may be “of interest”
to An Garda Síochána. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">He said he may have “inadvertently” disclosed information to Mr Gaynor
after the private detective contacted him in this context, but that he never
provided information directly from the screen in front of him when logged into
either the Pulse or GNIB databases. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mr Cullen said that when Mr Gaynor had given him a name, an address or a
car number, he would immediately check them on one of the systems available to
him.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“He was offering me information,” the garda said. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">He said he did not confirm any information to the private detective
other than to tell him it was “not of interest to the gardaí”.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mr Farrell asked at one stage why Mr Gaynor would be passing information
on individuals to Mr Cullen and whether they were perhaps members of
“al-Qaeda”.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Judge John O’Neill said he had “no difficulty” in having Mr Cullen
treated as a hostile witness and said he agreed with prosecuting counsel that
the detective was “playing with words”. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Fintan Lawlor - Data Protectionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12869198170403838391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6911236613452637821.post-36514976941817421652014-11-14T04:28:00.001-08:002014-11-14T04:28:36.610-08:00Pharmacy allowed husband watch footage of wife buying pregnancy test, court hears<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Irish Times, 14<sup>th</sup> November 2014</span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A Co Wicklow mother, who claimed a pharmacy
allowed her husband to watch CCTV footage of her buying a pregnancy test kit,
has settled a €38,000 damages claim against the pharmacy for an undisclosed
sum.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The woman, who cannot be named by order of the
judge in the Circuit Civil Court, said her marriage had been highly
dysfunctional and difficult for a number of years before the October 2010
incident. The incident, she said, worsened her relationship with her now
deceased husband.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">She told her barrister Martina O’Neill that she
had bought the pregnancy test for a friend, but her husband found the receipt
in their home and went to the pharmacy with it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The court heard the husband was very possessive
and had displayed abusive and violent behaviour towards his wife. When he
arrived at the pharmacy he pretended to be very distressed and “tricked” one of
the employees into showing him CCTV coverage of the actual purchase.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The husband told the pharmacy employee he had
found the receipt in his teenage daughter’s bedroom and was concerned that she
was sexually active. This had been why he had asked to be shown CCTV footage.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When asked by counsel for the pharmacy if her
husband could have played “a low trick” on the employee, the woman said she
could see him playing such a role as he would have been very good at it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mr English told the court the pharmacy assistant
was very concerned for the wellbeing of the man’s teenage daughter and, due to
his agitated state, showed him CCTV footage of a woman purchasing the test.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Circuit Court president Mr </span><a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/search/search-7.1213540?tag_person=Justice%20Raymond%20Groarke&article=true"><span style="color: #003399; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Justice Raymond
Groarke</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> was told that the father, who had identified the woman as
being his daughter’s aunt, had secretly taken pictures of the CCTV footage with
his mobile phone. The court heard the woman in the video was, in fact, the
girl’s mother and plaintiff in the court proceedings.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The mother told the court she and her husband
were not having an intimate relationship at the time and this had led to a row
with her husband as he thought she had bought the test for herself.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">She said her husband sent her, on her own mobile
phone, a picture of her purchasing the pregnancy test. She had been scared about
going home as she knew he would use it to start a row.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The woman told the judge that her husband and
she had separated on and off. He had been physically and mentally abusive
towards her. Gardaí had intervened several times after being called by the couple’s
children.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The court heard the incident had not made their
“traumatic marriage” any better as the husband had used the pregnancy test
purchase as “a stick to beat her with” and made her life a misery.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Every day after that he would talk about it any
chance he could get. He became abusive on a daily basis,” she told the court.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">She suffered acute stress and depression and had
needed to obtain counselling and medication.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The woman said she had complained to the then
Data Protection Commissioner, Billy Hawkes, who had found there had been a
breach of the Data Protection laws.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The mother had afterwards issued the court
proceedings in which she sued the pharmacy under the Data Protection Act for
negligence and breach of duty in allowing the footage to be shown to the
father.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mr English told Judge Groarke that if the father
had taken photographs of a computer screen, he had done so without the
pharmacy’s consent and the pharmacy fully contested the mother’s claim.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Counsel said the act allowed for personal data
to be given to a third party if it was required urgently to protect someone’s
health. He said the father had been highly agitated and distressed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Following a brief adjournment to allow talks
between the parties, Ms O’Neill said the matter had resolved. The judge, who
had earlier refused an application by Ms O’Neill for the case to be heard in
camera but had made an order restraining identity of any of the parties, struck
out the case<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
Fintan Lawlor - Data Protectionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12869198170403838391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6911236613452637821.post-21077857365489664692014-09-25T06:34:00.001-07:002014-09-25T06:34:41.912-07:0020% of ‘right to be forgotten’ requests concern an image<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Irish Times 25<sup>th</sup> September 2014 <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></a></div>
<span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">French start-up Forget.me, which helps consumers remove information about themselves from </span><span lang="EN-IE"><a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/search/search-7.1213540?tag_company=Google&article=true"><span lang="EN" style="color: #003399; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Google</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">, has said almost 20 per cent of Irish requests under the “right to be forgotten ruling” concern an image. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The European Court of Justice ruled in May that individuals have the right, in certain circumstances, to ask search engines to remove links with personal information about them.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Established by online reputation agency Reputation VIP, Forget.me helps users through the process of asking Google to remove information. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Since setting up in June, the start-up has received applications requesting the removal of almost 300 links from Irish people.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Three-quarters of applications were refused by Google, as they were “deliberately placed in public”, concerned another person, or were still relevant.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Some 8.5 per cent of requests were refused as the person seeking removal of information was the author of that information and could change it themselves on social media. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Forget.me said 18 per cent of Irish requests concerned an image, and Ireland is the ninth country in the number of requests, with 294 URL removals. In comparison, the UK ranked first with 3,700 requests for URL removals.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Requests declined <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Overall, Google decli- ned 59 per cent of requests submitted by Forget.me seeking the removal of information on behalf of people throughout Europe. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is based on more than 15,000 URLs sent to Google via Forget.me, from 30 countries.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Within one week of launching on June 24th, 13,000 people had registered on Forget.me and submitted 1,106 “right to be forgotten” applications requesting the removal of a total of 5,218 links.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Invasions of privacy, defamation and insult represented just over 50 per cent of all Google content removal requests.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Fintan Lawlor - Data Protectionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12869198170403838391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6911236613452637821.post-72020512625464839372014-09-25T06:33:00.002-07:002014-09-25T06:33:11.862-07:00Helen Dixon appointed as Data Protection Commissioner<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.6pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Former companies registrar and Department of Jobs official succeeds Billy Hawkes <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Irish Times, 10<sup>th</sup> September 2014 <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">The Government has announced the appointment of </span><span lang="EN-IE"><a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/search/search-7.1213540?tag_person=Helen%20Dixon&article=true"><span lang="EN" style="color: #003399; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Helen Dixon</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"> as the new Data Protection Commissioner.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">Ms Dixon, who has previously held senior management positions in the </span><span lang="EN-IE"><a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/search/search-7.1213540?tag_organisation=Department%20of%20Jobs&article=true"><span lang="EN" style="color: #003399; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Department of Jobs</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">, </span><span lang="EN-IE"><a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/search/search-7.1213540?tag_organisation=Enterprise%20and%20Innovation&article=true"><span lang="EN" style="color: #003399; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Enterprise and Innovation</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">, succeeds </span><span lang="EN-IE"><a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/search/search-7.1213540?tag_person=Billy%20Hawkes&article=true"><span lang="EN" style="color: #003399; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Billy Hawkes</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">, who retired last month. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">He had been in the role since 2005, serving two separate terms. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In a statement, a Government spokesman said Ms Dixon brings “a wealth of experience and expertise to her new role, both in the public and private sectors”.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">She was appointed registrar with the Companies Registration Office in December 2009 having previously held senior management positions in the Department of Jobs.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">She served an 11-year career in two US IT multinationals with their EMEA bases in </span><span lang="EN-IE"><a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/search/search-7.1213540?tag_location=Ireland&article=true"><span lang="EN" style="color: #003399; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Ireland</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The new commissioner holds an honours undergraduate degree in Applied Languages (French and German), a Masters in European Economic and Public Affairs, a postgraduate diploma in Computer Science and a Masters in Governance from Queen’s University Belfast. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">She was appointed an honorary fellow of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators in 2014. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ms Dixon is the first woman in the role. She will take up her appointment over the coming weeks.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Minister for Data Protection Dara Murphy, who was just recently appointed to the newly created Government position, welcomed the appointment. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“The role of the office of the Data Protection Commissioner as an independent body which has responsibility for safeguarding data in Ireland is of critical importance. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“As we move at an increasingly faster pace into the digital age, it is fundamental that we ensure that our data, which is becoming an increasingly valuable asset, is afforded the optimum level of protection,” he said.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“This is a function which the Data Protection Commissioner has performed since the role was established in 1988 and will become even more significant in the years ahead.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mr Murphy congratulated Ms Dixon on her appointment andwished her success in her “important new role”.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The appointment comes at a challenging time for the protection of individual privacy and at a major juncture in the development of European data protection law. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ms Dixon will be responsible for the protection of the personal data of hundreds of millions of European citizens due to the fact that several US multinationals, including Facebook, Linkedin and Apple have based their EU headquarters in Ireland. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A case in which her predecessor, Billy Hawkes, refused to investigate claims of a mass transfer of personal data to US intelligence services via Facebook has been referred by the High Court to the Court of Justice of the European Union. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A decision is not expected in the case - which has implications for an agreement between the EU and the European Union on how such transfers of personal data may legally take place - before next year.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Fintan Lawlor - Data Protectionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12869198170403838391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6911236613452637821.post-78270279080517006232014-09-19T08:55:00.002-07:002014-09-19T08:55:22.927-07:00Tough challenges ahead for new Data Protection Commissioner <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Never have the issues of data protection and personal privacy had such high profile<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Irish Times 18<sup>th</sup> September 2014 <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">What does </span><span lang="EN-IE"><a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/search/search-7.1213540?tag_location=Ireland&article=true"><span lang="EN" style="color: #003399; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Ireland</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"> need from its new Data Protection Commissioner?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">We now know who has replaced former Commissioner </span><span lang="EN-IE"><a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/search/search-7.1213540?tag_person=Billy%20Hawkes&article=true"><span lang="EN" style="color: #003399; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Billy Hawkes</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">, who retired from the role in August: civil servant </span><span lang="EN-IE"><a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/search/search-7.1213540?tag_person=Helen%20Dixon&article=true"><span lang="EN" style="color: #003399; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Helen Dixon</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">, who up until now has been registrar with the Companies Registration Office. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">Prior to that, she was a principal officer in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation. She also worked for <st1:country-region w:st="on">US</st1:country-region> technology company </span><span lang="EN-IE"><a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/search/search-7.1213540?tag_company=Citrix&article=true"><span lang="EN" style="color: #003399; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Citrix</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"> at its </span><span lang="EN-IE"><a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/search/search-7.1213540?tag_location=Europe&article=true"><span lang="EN" style="color: #003399; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Europe</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">, Middle East and Africa office in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Ireland</st1:place></st1:country-region>, as manager of Technical Support Services. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Pivotal point <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">She comes to the role at a pivotal and daunting point. Never have the issues of data protection and personal privacy had such high profile. Along with media coverage of repeated breaches of data in this country and internationally, the general public has had more than a year of leaks from the trove of documents obtained by former <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region> government contractor and whistleblower </span><span lang="EN-IE"><a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/search/search-7.1213540?tag_person=Edward%20Snowden&article=true"><span lang="EN" style="color: #003399; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Edward Snowden</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;">. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Those – revealing a shocking degree of large scale surreptitious digital data gathering on ordinary citizens by US and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">UK</st1:country-region></st1:place> surveillance agencies – have rattled international relations. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In particular, the revelations have spurred the EU to push for more restrictions on access to its citizens’ data and greater national and international oversight. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region> side, elected representatives, privacy org</span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">anisations and the general public have demanded explanations and more transparency in how law enforcement agencies acquire and use personal data.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And, somewhere in the middle, with their exact involvement still a mystery, sit many multinational companies – especially in the technology and online sector – which handle teraflops of data from customers and service users around the world, every day.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Some are known to have passed data to US agencies, with many of these continuing to request they be given permission from the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region> government to reveal more about what they are asked for, and when and how they complied. Others state they had no idea US and <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">UK</st1:place></st1:country-region> agencies were siphoning off their users’ data. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In this tense atmosphere, the EU has signaled that it will bring in a more restrictive and clearly defined Data Protection Regulation next year. This must by transposed directly, not piecemeal as had been the case with the existing directive, which came out of legislation in a pre-internet era. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">All indications are that the EU will require data misuse complaints against companies be referred to the Data Protection Commissioner in the EU state in which the company has its European headquarters.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Fintan Lawlor - Data Protectionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12869198170403838391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6911236613452637821.post-53418147592375587942014-09-19T08:54:00.001-07:002014-09-19T08:54:34.282-07:00‘No data breach’ says Irish Water, despite sending 6,329 letters to the wrong address<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Data Protection Commissioner has not said whether a breach took place.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Journal, 10<sup>th</sup> September 2014</span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">IRISH WATER HAS apologized for sending more than 6,000 letters with incorrect names to customers, but says it does not believe the mistake represents a data breach.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The semi-state company had been investigating the possibility of a data breach after it emerged that letters sent to 6,329 multiple home-owners this month were wrongly addressed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ironically, the letters had asked customers to confirm their personal details, to allow Irish Water to update their customer database before water charges come into force next month.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Responding to an enquiry from <i>TheJournal.ie</i>, a spokesperson from the office of the Data Protection Commissioner did not address whether or not a data breach had taken place.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In their statement this evening, Irish Water confirmed the mistake had come to their attention last Tuesday, and that they had reported it to the Data Protection Commissioner.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In line with this process, Irish Water has sent letters to owners of multiple properties asking them to confirm the details of properties they own. Irish Water is aware that incorrect names have appeared on correspondence issued to 6,329 of these individuals. This became apparent on 4th September.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Irish Water acted immediately to resolve this issue and all of the property owners affected have been advised accordingly.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On becoming aware of the issue, Irish Water also immediately informed the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) and our understanding is that the issuing of the letters does not constitute a breach and that the Office of the DPC are satisfied with how Irish Water have dealt with the issue.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our customer contact centre (1890 448 448) is available to respond to any customer queries or concerns.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Irish Water has apologised for any confusion and concern that this might have caused affected customers.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Despite an enquiry by <i>TheJournal</i>.ie, the Office of the DPC did not clarify this evening whether or not a data breach had occurred.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A spokesperson did, however, say the DPC had “concluded its investigation.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Irish Water notified this office on 4th September of a potential data security breach…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Irish Water notified the affected individuals of the matter and sought return of the incorrectly addressed letters.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Irish Water have informed this office of the steps being taken to prevent a repeat of this type of incident.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On this basis, this office concluded its investigation into the matter.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Fintan Lawlor - Data Protectionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12869198170403838391noreply@blogger.com0